MEMORIAL 


OF 


JOEL  PARKER. 


.V**1' 


n 


FREEHOLD,   N.  J.  : 
MONMOUTH   DEMOCRAT   PRINT. 

1889. 


BIOGRAPHICAL. 


JOEL  PARKER. 

A     MEMORIAL      PREPARED     AT      THE     REQUEST     OF     THE      NEW 
JERSEY    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY. 


BY  JAMES  S.  YARD. 


Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Society  at  Netrark,  May  77,  1888. 


BIRTH,    PARENTAGE     AND     EDUCATION. 

Joel  Parker  was  born  in  Freehold  township  on  the  24th 
of  November,  1816,  in  a  house  still  standing  on  the  Mount 
Holly  road  about  four  miles  west  of  Freehold,  in  what  is 
no\v  Millstone  township.  A  small  village  known  as 
Smithburg  has  grown  up  around  it  recently.  His  father 
was  Charles  Parker,  who  was  born  in  the  same  neighbor 
hood,  and  who  was  Sheriff  of  the  county,  member  of  the 
Assembly,  and  for  thirteen  years  State  Treasurer  and  at 
the  same  time  State  Librarian.  His  mother,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  the  county  as  it  was  then  constituted,  was 
a  daughter  of  Capt.  Joseph  Coward,  of  the  Continental 
Army.  He  received  his  primary  education  at  the  old 
Trenton  Academy,  and  was  prepared  for  college  at  the 
Lawrenceville  High  School.  In  the  meantime  he  spent 
two  years  as  manager  on  a  farm  which  his  father  then 
owned  near  Colts  Neck.  He  was  graduated  at  Princeton 
in  1839,  and  immediately  commenced  the  study  of  law  in 
the  office  of  the  Hon.  Henry  W.  Green,  at  Trenton,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  1842,  when  he  located  at  Free 
hold  and  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession. 

HIS    EARLY    CAREER. 

In  1840  he  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for  Martin 
Van  Buren,  the  nominee  of  the  Democratic  party.  In 


M168751 


6  MEMORIAL  OF 

1844  lie  entered  the  political  arena  in  support  of  the  elec 
tion  of  James  K.  Polk  as  President,  and  distinguished 
himself  in  that  campaign  as  a  public  speaker.  In  1847 
he  was  elected  to  the  Assembly  and  served  one  year.  He 
was  then  the  youngest  member  of  the  House,  but  being 
the  only  lawyer  on  the  Democratic  side,  he  became  the 
party  leader,  especially  on  all  questions  having  a  legal 
bearing.  He  distinguished  himself  in  the  Legislature 
and  gained  a  State  reputation  by  the  introduction  of  a 
bill  to  equalize  taxation  by  taxing  personal  as  well  as 
real  property,  and  by  a  speech  in  support  of  the  measure, 
which  was  printed  in  the  newspapers  throughout  the 
State.  At  the  close  of  his  term  in  the  Assembly  he  de 
clined  a  nomination  as  candidate  for  the  State  Senate  on 
account  of  his  growing  practice,  which  demanded  his 
entire  attention.  In  1852  he  was  appointed  Prosecutor 
of  the  Pleas,  which  office  he  held  for  one  term,  and  ac 
quitted  himself  therein  with  marked  ability.  During 
his  term  he  tried  the  celebrated  case  against  James  P. 
Donnelly  for  the  murder  of  Albert  Moses,  at  the  Sep 
tember  term  of  1857.  He  was  assisted  by  Attorncy-Gen- 
eral  William  L.  Dayton ;  the  opposing  counsel  were 
Joseph  P.  Bradley  (afterward  Associate  Justice  of  the  IT. 
S.  Supreme  Court),  ex-Go v.  Pennington  and  A.  C. 
McLean.  The  trial  lasted  nine  days.  The  evidence  was 
largely  circumstantial,  and  the  case  is  still  quoted  as  one 
of  the  great  trials  of  the  period.  The  case  was  prepared 
and  conducted  by  Mr.  Parker,  and  won  for  him  a  leading 
position  at  the  Bar  of  the  State. 

EFFORTS  TO  ORGANIZE  THE  MILITIA  AND  TO  PROMOTE 
VOLUNTEERING. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  regimental  officers  of  the  Mon- 
mouth  and  Ocean  Brigade,  held  at  Freehold  on  the  1st  of 
December,  1857,  he  was  unanimously  elected  Brigadier- 
General  of  the  Brigade.  He  subsequently  proceeded  to 


JOEL  PARKER.  7 

thoroughly  organize  the  corps,  holding  elections  in  the 
several  regiments,  appointing  meetings  for  the  instruction 
of  the  officers,  and  organizing  uniformed  companies, 
which  he  subsequently  brought  together  for  parade  and 
review.*  At  the  outbreak  of  the  war  Major-General 
Moore,  of  Ocean  county,  Commander  of  the  Third  Divi 
sion  of  the  State  Militia,  resigned  on  account  of  age  and 
infirmity,  and  on  the  7th  of  May,  1861,  General  Parker 
was  nominated  by  Governor  Olden  and  confirmed  by  the 
Senate  as  his  successor.  The  appointment  was  made 
with  a  view  to  the  promotion  of  volunteering  and  the 
organization  of  forces  for  the  suppression  of  the  Rebel 
lion.  He  encouraged  the  military  spirit  of  the  people 
within  the  bounds  of  his  Division,  comprising  the  coun 
ties  of  Mercer,  Middlesex,  Monmouth  and  Ocean,  by 
holding  public  meetings,  organizing  the  uniformed  com 
panies  and  bringing  the  latter  together  for  inspection  and 
review  at  Freehold,  on  which  occasion  he  had  1,500  men 
in  line,  the  largest  parade  of  the  kind  ever  held  previous 
to  that  time  in  that  section  of  the  State. f  Referring  to 
these  efforts  to  promote  volunteering,  the  Hon.  Thomas 
H.  Dudley,  of  Camden,  said :  J  "The  confidence  re 
posed  in  him  by  Governor  Olden  at  that  time  was  not 
misplaced.  It  was  fully  sustained  in  every  way.  Joel 
Parker  was  true ;  he  was  honest  and  loyal.  He  under 
took  the  work  and  he  did  it.  He  rallied  as  many,  if  not 
more,  men  than  any  other  man  in  the  State  around  the 
standard  for  the  defence  of  his  country.  *  *  He  was 
patriotic  and  gave  his  hands  and  his  heart  to  the  work. 
He  did  his  duty  and  he  did  it  wrell,  and  the  people  sus 
tained  him.  *  *  When  he  came  to  occupy  the  Exec 
utive  Chair  he  followed  in  the  same  patriotic  line.  He 
was  true  and  loyal  to  the  State  and  the  country,  and  the 
oath  of  office  he  had  taken." 


*  Monmouth  Democrat,  August  19,  September  2,  October  14  and  October  30, 1858. 
t  Ibid.  May  29, 1862.    %  Address  before  the  Bar  of  Camden. 


MEMORIAL   OF 

While  lie  was  Governor  he  took  an  active  interest  in 
the  organization  of  the  militia  and  in  providing  heavy 
ordnance,  small  arms  and  other  munitions  in  store  in  the 
State  Arsenal,  ready  for  any  emergency  that  might  call 
for  their  use.  During  his  first  administration,  the  militia 
laws  were  revised  and  encouragement  was  given  to  the 
organization  of  a  uniformed  corps  of  militia,  of  which 
the  present  efficient  "  National  Guard  "  is  the  outgrowth. 
He  held  that  a  State  without  a  well-organized  and  effective 
militia  failed  in  its  duty  to  the  general  government.  He 
considered  it  the  duty  of  every  State  not  only  to  he  pre 
pared  to  enforce  the  law  within  its  own  borders  when  the 
civil  authorities  prove  powerless  to  maintain  the  peace, 
without  calling  for  aid  from  regular  troops,  but  also  to  be 
able,  in  case  of  emergency,  to  aid  the  general  government 
with  military  power.* 

NAMED    FOR     CONGRESSIONAL     AND     GUBERNATORIAL     HONORS. 

Iii  1854  he  was  prominently  named  for  Congress  but, 
in  a  public  letter,  declined  being  considered  as  a  candidate 
for  the  nomination  on  the  ground  that,  if  elected,  it  would 
destroy  his  private  business,  which  the  claims  of  his 
growing  family  would  not  warrant,  f  In  1858  it  was  again 
proposed  to  nominate  him  for  Congress,  but  this  came 
from  the  so-called  "  opposition  "  party,  and  had  in  view 
the  division  of  the  Democratic  party.  In  reply  to  this 
proposition,  which  was  made  by  a  correspondent  of  a. 
local  newspaper,  he  said  that  believing  the  success  of  the 
Democratic  party  contributed  to  the  welfare  of  the  nation, 
he  would  exceedingly  regret  any  divisions  in  its  ranks, 
and  that  no  act  of  his  should  tend  toward  that  event. J 

In  1856  his  name  was  first  mentioned  for  Governor  of 
the  State.  He  declined  being  considered  as  a  candidate 
for  the  nomination,  but  recommended  for  it  Col.  William 
C.  Alexander,  who  afterward  received  it.  Iii  1859  he 
was  again  named  for  this  position  but  he  again  declined. 


*  Annual  Message,  1874.    f  True  American,  May  31, 1854. 
t  Letter  to  the  Monmouth  Inquirer,  March  5, 1858. 


JOEL  PARKER.  9 

In  the  Presidential  campaign  of  1860  he  espoused  the 
cause  of  Mr.  Douglas  as  against  a  fusion  ticket  nominated 
at  the  suggestion  of  the  Democratic  State  Central  Com 
mittee  and  representing  the  three  organizations  opposed 
to  the  Republican  party.  lie  insisted  that  the  Democratic 
party  of  New  Jersey  was  represented  only  in  the  conven 
tion  that  nominated  Mr.  Douglas :  that  the  candidates 
nominated  were  Democrats,  the  platform  adopted  was 
Democratic,  and  therefore  that  the  party  in  Xew  Jersey, 
by  usage  and  by  every  principle  of  honor,  was  bound  to 
sustain  the  action  of  that  Convention.  He,  with  others, 
published  during  the  campaign  a  small  newspaper*  which 
was  extensively  circulated,  gratuitously,  throughout  Mon- 
mouth  county,  in  which  he  maintained  his  views.  On 
the  eve  of  the  election  a  compromise  was  effected,  both 
electoral  tickets  were  withdrawn,  and  a  single  electoral 
ticket  was  agreed  upon,  composed  of  three  friends  of 
Douglas  and  two  of  each  of  the  other  candidates.  Owing 
to  the  fact  that  a  straight  Douglas  ticket  was  run  in  some 
sections,  four  of  the  Democratic  electors  were  defeated, 
while  the  Douglas  electors  were  elected  by  nearly  five 
thousand  majority.  Joel  Parker  was  one  of  these,  and  in 
the  Electoral  College  cast  one  of  the  three  Douglas  votes 
of  Xew  Jersey.  He  was  again  elected  one  of  the  Presi 
dential  electors  for  Xew  Jersey  in  1876,  and  cast  his  vote 
for  Samuel  J.  Tildcn  for  President. 

FIRST    TERM    AS    GOVERNOR. 

Iii  the  Fall  of  1862  he  was  nominated  by  the  Demo 
cratic  State  Convention  for  Governor,  and  was  elected  by 
a  majority  of  14,600  votes — a  majority  three  times  as  great 
as  had  ever  before  been  given  for  any  candidate  for  that 
position.  His  administration  was  eminently  a  successful 
one  and  was  especially  distinguished  for  its  efficiency  in 
promoting  enlistments  to  aid  in  the  suppression  of  the 
rebellion,  and  for  successfully  keeping  up  volunteering 


*  T/ie  Spirit  of  Democracy.    The  only  file  of  this  newspaper  known  to  be  in  existence 
is  in  the  possession  of  the  New  Jersey  Historical  Society. 


10  MEMORIAL    OF 

for  this  purpose  for  a  year  after  all  other  States  had  re 
sorted  to  drafting  to  fill  up  their  regiments. 

In  1863,  learning  that  the  General  Government  was 
about  to  assign  quotas  to  the  several  districts  in  Xew 
Jersey  and  to  draft  for  the  troops,  Governor  Parker  ap 
plied  for  authority  to  raise  volunteers,  to  be  credited  to 
the  quota  in  case  a  draft  should  be  ordered.  The  au 
thority  was  granted,  and  under  it  he  issued  a  proclama 
tion  to  the  people  and  an  appeal  to  municipal  authorities 
and  individuals  to  make  special  efforts  to  promote  volun 
teering  by  public  meetings  and  the  payment  of  bounties. 
This  appeal  was  responded  to  generally  throughout  the 
State,  and  was  generously  aided  by  the  press  without 
distinction  of  party.  Two-thirds  of  the  quotas  subse 
quently  assigned  were  thus  obtained,  and  the  draft  which 
had  been  ordered  was  postponed.  This  was  at  a  season 
when  labor  was  fully  employed,  and  under  circumstances 
that  were  discouraging.*  Another  assignment  of  quotas 
later  in  the  same  year  was  filled  in  like  manner.  Through 
these  efforts  New  Jersey  is  enabled  to  boast  that  no  man 
Avas  ever  taken  unwillingly  from  the  State  to  fill  the  quota 
of  troops  demanded  by  the  general  government,  f 

THE  INVASION  OF  PENNSYLVANIA. 

It  was  during  Governor  Parker's  first  year  (1863)  that 
the  great  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  fought.  When  Lee 
invaded  Pennsylvania,  Governor  Curtin,  of  that  State, 
had  but  few  troops  at  his  command,  and  in  the  imminent 
peril  that  threatened,  Governor  Parker  came  to  his  assist 
ance  by  inducing  several  regiments  that  had  just  returned 
to  retrace  their  steps.  lie  also  issued  a  proclamation  to 
the  people,  and  before  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia  had 
recovered  from  their  panic  or  had  raised  a  single  company 
to  defend  their  State,  thousands  of  Jerseymen  were  march 
ing  through  that  city  to  the  scene  of  action,  for  which 

*  Annual  Message,  1864. 

f  For  the  official  correspondence  upon  this  and  kindred  subjects  see  Appendix  to 
the  Governor's  Message,  Legislative  Documents,  1865. 


JOEL  PARKER.  11 

service  he  received  through  Governor  Curtin  the  thanks 
of  the  people  of  Pennsylvania,  and  of  President  Lincoln, 
who  wrote  :  "  Please  accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  what 
you  have  done  and  are  doing  to  get  troops  forward."  Col. 
William  R.  Murphy,  commanding  a  portion  of  the  "New 
Jersey  troops  in  Pennsylvania  during  this  emergency,  in 
a  letter  to  Governor  Parker  dated  at  Camp  Curtin,  June 
20th,  said:  "  *  *  We  have  received  every  attention 
because  we  are  Jerseymen.  '  A  citizen  of  lN"ew  Jersey  ' 
is  a  prouder  title  than  that  of  '  a  Roman  Citizen.'  "* 

THE    INVASION    OF    MARYLAND. 

In  the  summer  of  1864  the  rebels  under  Ewell  and 
Mosby  invaded  Maryland  and  the  battle  of  Monocacy  was 
fought,  in  which  our  Fourteenth  Regiment  was  so  badly 
cut  up.  In  the  absence  of  any  definite  information  re 
garding  this  invasion,  and  anticipating  the  necessity  that 
appeared  to  be  imminent,  Governor  Parker,  without  wait 
ing  to  hear  from  the  military  authorities  at  Washington, 
immediately  issued  his  proclamation  calling  for  troops  at 
a  moment's  notice.  Of  this  proclamation  the  Philadelphia 
Inquirer,  a  Republican  newspaper,  said  : 

Joel  Parker,  Governor  of  New  Jersey,  deserves  the  thanks  of  the 
loyal  people  of  the  United  States.  His  proclamation,  published  yes 
terday,  is  conceived  in  the  genuine  spirit  of  patriotism,  and  has  a  ring 
that  will  gladden  every  loyal  heart. 

HOW    HE    CARED    FOR    JERSEY    SOLDIERS    IN    THE    FIELD. 

In  1863,  after  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  and  without 
waiting  for  the  action  of  the  Legislature,  Governor  Par 
ker  dispatched  an  agent  to  the  battle-field  to  personally 
superintend,  with  great  care,  the  removal  of  the  remains 
of  the  Xew  Jersey  dead,  a  plot  of  ground  was  secured  on 
the  field,  the  bodies  were  carefully  re-interred,  and  the 
ground  was  set  apart  for  this  sacred  purpose,  with  appro 
priate  ceremonies,  in  the  presence  of  a  vast  concourse  of 
people  assembled  to  witness  them. 

*  Legislative  Documents,  1865. 


12  MEMORIAL   OF 

During  his  first  year  as  Governor  he  organized  a  State 
Agency,  with  headquarters  at  Washington  City,  to  look 
after  the  welfare  of  the  ^N"ew  Jersey  troops  in  the  field,  to 
facilitate  transfers  and  discharges  in  deserving  cases,  and 
to  alleviate  in  many  ways  the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and 
wounded  in  the  hospitals.  This  agency  was  assisted  at 
Washington  by  an  association  of  resident  Jerseymen, 
without  expense  to  the  State.  The  agency  also  received 
money  from  the  soldiers  in  the  field  and  transmitted  it  to 
their  families  without  expense  to  them,  and  during  the 
war  many  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  were  thus 
received  and  transmitted  without  loss.  Thousands  of 
^ew  Jersey  soldiers  and  their  families  to-day  bless  Gov 
ernor  Parker  for  his  kindly  sympathy  and  foresight  in 
organizing  this  agency. 

These  are  only  examples  of  his  constant  and  unremit 
ting  care  and  watchfulness  over  the  interests  of  the  brave 
Jerseymen  who  breasted  the  storm  during  the  nation's 
peril.  After  every  battle,  and  at  intervals  when  circum 
stances  seemed  to  require  it,  special  agents  were  dis 
patched  to  the  headquarters  of  the  several  regimental 
organizations  in  the  field  to  ascertain  their  condition,  to 
minister  to  the  wants  of  the  soldiers,  and  to  relieve  their 
sufferings.  Most  of  this  action  was  taken  upon  his  own 
motion  and  at  the  dictates  of  his  own  heart  and  mind. 
He  instituted  inquiries  into  the  condition  of  the  disabled 
soldiers  and  their  families,  and  appointed  a  commission 
to  report  what  legislation  was  necessary.  In  his  second 
annual  message  he  recommended  the  establishment  of  a 
soldiers'  home,  or  retreat,  which  recommendation  was 
acted  upon,  and  homes  were  established  which  have  since 
been  the  means  of  comfort  and  sustenance  to  hundreds  of 
^N"ew  Jersey  soldiers  who  otherwise,  in  their  declining 
years,  would  have  had  no  home  that  they  could  properly 
call  their  own. 


JOEL  PARKER.  13 

VIEWS    AS    TO    THE    CONDUCT     OF    THE    AVAR. 

Gov.  Parker  was  frank  and  outspoken  in  his  sentiments 
as  to  the  conduct  of  the  war.  While  differing  frequently 
with  the  administration  at  "Washington  in  regard  to  mat 
ters  of  policy,  he  was  very  decided  in  his  views  as  to  the 
principles  involved,  and  never  faltered  in  his  belief  that 
the  Union  would  be  ultimately  restored.  In  analyzing 
the  causes  which  led  to  the  war  he  held  that  the  misguid 
ed  agitators  in  the  Xorth  for  the  abolition  of  slavery 
provoked  the  hatred  of  the  South,  severed  the  bonds  of 
Christian  fellowship  and  silenced  the  counsels  of  moder 
ation  and  conciliation,  thus  enabling  a  minority  of  fanat 
ical  and  ultra  men  in  each  section  to  control  the  current 
of  events  and  to  bring  the  Government  to  the  verge  of 
destruction.  At  the  same  time  he  insisted  that  the  res 
toration  and  maintenance  of  the  Union  of  the  States  was 
the  chief  duty  of  the  citizen.  Failure  in  the  proper  ad 
ministration  of  a  good  government  did  not  discharge  us 
from  an  obligation  to  perpetuate  that  government,  It 
should  rather  increase  our  exertions  to  bring  its  rulers 
back  to  the  true  principles  on  which  the  government  was 
founded.  We  should  not  be  afraid  of  peace — an  honor 
able  and  permanent  peace — whether  it  come  by  the  exer 
cise  of  power  or  the  exercise  of  conciliation  ;  but  it  should 
be  a  peace  on  the  basis  of  u  the  Union  as  it  was ;"  not  a 
union  of  States  where  part  are  held  in  subjection  as  con 
quered  provinces,  adding  nothing  to  the  material  inter 
ests  and  prosperity  of  the  nation,  and  only  furnishing  a 
theatre  of  action  for  swarms  of  military  officials ;  but  a 
Union  of  all  the  States,  with  their  equality  and  rights  un 
impaired,  and  bringing  with  it  such  unity  as  will  have  the 
Constitution  for  its  foundation  and  obedience  to  law  its 
corner-stone.*  lie  differed  with  the  Administration  at 
Washington  in  regard  to  the  amnesty  proclamation, 
because  it  dictated  terms  that  honorable  men,  in  his  judg 
ment,  could  not  accede  to,  and  to  the  emancipation  proc- 


Inaugural,  1S63. 


14  MEMORIAL    OF 

lamation,  because  the  line  of  argument  rendered  the  Con 
stitution  inoperative  in  time  of  war,  and  made  all  our 
rights  subject  to  executive  discretion.*  He  considered 
these  measures  calculated  to  prolong  the  war.  He  did 
not  sympathize  with  the  idea,  entertained  by  some,  that 
the  war  would  destroy  all  hope  of  union,  nor  that  it  was 
to  the  interests  of  the  country  that  our  armies  should  be 
withdrawn  from  the  South,  with  the  idea  that  the  South 
would  at  some  future  time  voluntarily  return  to  the 
Union.  On  the  contrary  he  believed  that  such  a  policy 
would  be  a  confession  of  weakness  and  would  result  in 
perpetual  disunion,  continual  war  and  the  overthrow  of 
our  system  of  government.  He  insisted  upon  "the  duty 
of  the  State  authorities  to  furnish  the  men  necessary  to 
destroy  the  armed  power  of  the  rebellion,"  and  that  it 
was  "  equally  the  duty  of  the  general  government  to 
accompany  the  exercise  of  the  power  entrusted  to  it  with 
proper  terms  of  conciliation. "f  Referring  to  the  obstruc 
tionists,  who  insisted  among  other  things  that  the  Union 
should  not  be  restored  under  the  old  Constitution,  and 
who  denounced  as  traitors  those  who  protested  against 
such  a  policy,  he  urged  that : 

Wise  men  will  not  be  driven  from  the  path  of  duty  by  the  errors  or 
vituperation  of  others.  Whatever  others  may  now  say  or  do  will  not 
palliate  the  crime  of  those  who  took  up  arms  against  the  government, 
or  lessen  the  obligations  of  patriotic  men  to  aid  in  their  overthrow. 
We  should  not  abandon  the  government  of  our  country,  engaged  in 
war  with  those  who  would  destroy  our  national  existence,  whether 
temporarily  administered  to  our  liking  or  not.  The  government  is 
designed  to  be  perpetual,  while  administrations  are  transient.  AVe 
must  subdue  the  rebellion  and  save  the  country  in  spite  of  all  difficul 
ties.  That  which  interferes  with  the  speedy  restoration  of  the  Union 
under  the  Constitution,  whether  it  proceeds  from  the  enemy  or  exists 
among  ourselves,  must  be  overcome.  Every  obstacle  in  the  way, 
whether  it  be  the  rebel  armies,  or  the  fatal  policy  of  those  in  power, 
should  be  swept  from  existence  by  the  people  ;  in  the  one  case  by  the 
use  of  military  force,  and  in  the  other  by  the  uiitrammeled  exercise  of 
the  elective  franchise.  However  strong  our  armies  may  become,  suc- 

*  Annual  Message,  1864.        t  Ibid. 


JOEL  PARKER,  15 

cess  will  be  delayed  unless  we  have  the  right  civil  policy.  In  fact, 
without  the  right  civil  policy,  victory  will  not  give  us  a  Union  worthy 
of  the  name.* 

Again  he  said  : 

After  the  country  shall  have  recovered  from  its  present  excitement 
it  surely  will  be  discerned  that  to  restore  the  nation  to  its  former  hap 
py  condition  of  peace  and  unity  the  conquest  of  the  territory  alone 
will  not  suffice,  but  the  hearts  of  the  people  must  also  be  won  back 
from  their  estrangement,  But  whatever  difference  of  opinion  may 
exist  as  to  questions  of  policy,  we  should  be  united  in  the  determina 
tion  to  maintain  the  Union  of  the  States.  If  those  in  rebellion  desire 
to  return  they  should  not  be  prevented  by  unconstitutional  and  unjust 
conditions.  Should  they  refuse  to  accept  the  offer  of  proper  and  just 
terms,  upon  them  will  be  the  responsibility.  The  Union  must  be  pre 
served.  The  Union  should  be  the  sole  condition  of  peace,  and  that 
must  be  adhered  to  with  unswerving  fidelity,  as  the  only  foundation  of 
€>ur  strength,  security  and  happiness  as  a  nation.f 

Later  in  the  progress  of  reconstruction  he  said  : 

To  give  peace  to  the  South  and  prosperity  to  the  whole  country,  the 
Christian  spirit  of  charity  must  be  invoked.  Magnanimity  and  for 
giveness  should  take  the  place  of  hate  and  vengeance.  Love  and  good 
will  can  accomplish  more  than  proscription.! 

A     CLOSE     ADHERENT     TO     THE     ESTABLISHED     PRINCIPLES    OF 
FREE     GOVERNMENT. 

Gov.  Parker  was  a  firm  supporter  of  the  fundamental 
principles  of  our  government  as  expounded  by  the  fath 
ers.  He  insisted  upon  maintaining  the  freedom  of  speech 
even  in  the  throes  of  our  civil  war — not  only  as  a  saored 
principle,  but  as  a  measure  of  public  safety.  He  said  : 

There  would  be  a  much  better  state  of  feeling  and  greater  unity  of 
sentiment  among  the  people  of  the  loyal  States  should  it  become  more 
generally  understood  that  men  may  oppose  the  policy  of  an  adminis 
tration  and  still  be  firm  friends  of  the  government  and  steadfast  lovers 
and  supporters  of  the  Union.  Minorities  have  an  important  work  to 
do  in  opposing  and  checking  the  assumptions  of  arbitrary  power  and 
the  errors  of  administration  which  continued  success  usually  produces. 
None  of  us  have  a  right  to  be  idle  or  listless  spectators  of  passing 
events.  We  all  have  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  nation,  and 
should  put  forth  every  effort  to  maintain  the  integrity  of  the  Union 
and  perpetuate  the  government  of  our  fathers.  If  we  believe  that 
measures  have  been  inaugurated  which,  if  persisted  in,  will  continue 

*  Annual  Message,  18G4.       f  Annual  Message,  1865.        J  Inaugural,  1872. 


16  MEMORIAL   OF 

indefinitely  the  terrible  strife  between  the  sections,  and  finally  produce 
separation,  it  is  not  only  our  right  but  our  solemn  duty  to  use  every 
lawful  means  to  induce  a  change  of  measures.  Such  action,  when  not 
taking  the  form  of  factious  interference,  is  perfectly  consistent  with 
obedience  to  law  and  the  fulfilment  of  every  obligation  imposed  by  the 
highest  type  of  loyalty,  and  will  result  not  in  weakening  the  govern 
ment  but  in  giving  it  strength  and  stability  by  correcting  the  errors  of 
those  who  administer  it.  We  should  never  despair  of  the  republic. 
The  greater  the  exigency  the  higher  should  our  patriotism  rise.* 

INDIVIDUAL    RIGHTS     AND    ARBITRARY    ARRESTS. 

He  was  always  jealous  of  the  rights  of  the  individual 
citizen  as  guaranteed  by  the  Constitution.  He  at  all 
times  firmly  and  earnestly  maintained  personal  liberty  as 
one  of  the  absolute  rights  of  man,  and  its  protection  one 
of  the  primary  objects  of  government.t  Referring  to  the 
arbitrary  seizure  of  citizens  of  the  State  without  due  pro 
cess  of  law  he  said  :J  "It  concerns  every  man  in  the 
community.  It  is  the  privilege  as  well  as  the  solemn  duty 
of  a  free  people  to  inquire  into  any  claim  of  power  which 
infringes  upon  the  well  defined  guards  of  personal  liber 
ty,"  and  while  recognizing  the  necessity  for  the  suspen 
sion  of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  when  public  safety 
required  it,  he  held  that  it  was  "  of  vital  importance  to 
the  people  to  know  by  what  power  the  privilege  of  this 
great  writ  can  be  suspended,  and  at  whose  will  their  lib 
erties  are  held.  *  *  It  is  as  much  a  departure  from  the 
Constitution,  and  almost  as  dangerous  in  its  tendency, 
for  one  department  of  government  to  infringe  upon  the 
province  and  assume  the  powers  delegated  to  another 
department,  as  it  is  to  usurp  powers  that  have  never 
passed  from  the  people  ;"§  and  referring  to  the  alleged 
"  military  necessity  "  as  a  justification  for  the  suspension 
of  the  writ,  he  concluded:  "  As  this  alleged  power  [the 
war  power]  is  limited  only  by  the  will  and  discretion  of 
him  who  exercises  it,  there  is  no  conceivable  form  of  out 
rage  upon  individual  rights  or  public  interests  that  cannot 
be  perpetrated  under  it."  While  admitting  that  the  mo- 

*  Annual  Message,  1865.       f  Inaugural,  1863.       J  Ibid.        \  Ibid. 


JOEL  PARKER.  17 

tive  of  the  Executive  might  be  pure  lie  urged  that  there 
might  be  a  radical  error  of  judgment,  and  it  was  against 
the  principle  that  he  protested,  "  in  the  name  of  the  peo 
ple  of  a  sovereign  State."*  In  an  address  delivered  at 
Freehold,  in  1864,  he  said  : 

No  inmate  of  Fort  Lafayette  has  been  more  violent  in  his  denuncia 
tions  of  the  exercise  of  arbitrary  power  than  are  the  able  Chairmen  of 
the  Senate  and  House  Committees  on  the  rebellious  States.  And  yet 
these  very  men,  leaders  in  the  respective  houses  of  Congress,  in  com 
mon  with  the  majority  of  the  dominant  party,  have  upheld  the  Exec 
utive  in  repeated  encroachments  on  the  rights  of  the  people,  more 
dangerous  in  their  character  than  those  of  which  they  complain.  Cit 
izens  have  been  violently  dragged  from  their  houses  without  warrant, 
without  the  semblance  of  a  trial,  merely  at  the  whim  of  some  Secretary 
— the  ringing  of  his  little  bell — and  for  long  weary  months  have  been 
confined  in  the  damp  cell  of  a  prison,  and  at  length  discharged  with 
out  so  much  as  being  informed  of  the  nature  of  the  accusation,  or  even 
of  the  ground  of  suspicion  against  them.  This  has  been  done  in  com 
munities  far  removed  from  the  seat  of  war,  in  States  where  no  armed 
rebel  had  ever  set  his  foot,  where  the  courts  were  open,  and  where  the 
laws  were  faithfully  and  impartially  administered  by  pure  and  learned 
judges.  And  this  has  occurred  in  the  nineteenth  century,  under  what 
is  called  a  republican  government,  in  a  land  where  there  is  a  written 
constitution,  and  among  a  people  sprung  from  an  ancestry  who  for 
centuries  contended  against  kingly  power,  and  at  last  secured  in  Magna 
Charta  the  liberty  of  the  people.f 

And  on  another  occasion  he  said  : 

Vest  in  one  man  the  discretion  when  he  will  suspend  the  privilege 
of  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus  in  any  part  of  the  country  ;  give  him  au 
thority  to  silence  the  courts  and  render  the  civil  law  powerless  ;  then 
place  the  army  and  navy  at  his  command  to  carry  his  mandates  into 
execution,  and  you  constitute  a  ruler  clothed  with  kingly  powers  more 
absolute  than  those  possessed  by  any  monarch  who  has  ruled  in  Eng 
land  since  Magna  Charta.^. 

At  the  close  of  his  first  term  of  office  he  was  able  to 
boast,  with  truthfulness,  that  not  a  single  right  of  the 
State  had  been  yielded,  and  not  one  of  her  citizens  during 
his  administration  had  been  deprived  of  his  liberty  with 
out  due  process  of  law. § 


Inaugural,  1863.       f  Monmouth  Democrat,  Aug.  2f>,  1864. 
Inaugural,  1872.       %  Annual  Message,  1866. 


18  MEMORIAL  OF 

A    FIRM    SUPPORTER     OF    STATE    RIGHTS. 

Governor  Parker  was  a  strong  adherent  to  the  doctrine 
of  State  Rights.  He  maintained  that  the  sovereignty  of 
a  State  is  as  complete  and  real  in  its  proper  sphere  as  is 
the  sovereignty  of  the  United  States  within  its  sphere, 
but  he  referred  cases  of  doubt  or  controversy  as  to  the 
extent  of  those  powers  to  the  supreme  legal  tribunal  pro 
vided  for  their  adjudication,  and  insisted  that  in  denning 
them  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  must  be  our 
guide.  And  this  not  only  in  times  of  peace — the  reserved 
rights  of  the  States  and  the  rights  of  the  people  were  to 
be  protected  at  all  times,  and  especially  in  times  of  discord 
and  angry  strife,  when  passion  often  rules  the  hour,  and 
power  is  prone  to  encroach  on  law.  At  the  same  time 
he  denounced  the  doctrine  of  secession  as  a  political 
heresy,  at  variance  with  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the  Con 
stitution.*  And  again,  referring  to  the  growing  disposi 
tion  to  ignore  the  political  existence  of  the  States,  to  treat 
them  as  subordinate  to  the  Federal  Government,  and  to 
centralize  power  in  the  President  and  Congress,  he  said : 

The  time  has  come  when  all  who  value  the  institutions  established 
through  trial  and  privation  by  the  wisdom  of  our  ancestors,  and  who 
cherish  the  principles  on  which  our  government  is  reared,  should  for 
get  minor  differences  of  opinion,  and  unite  in  opposing  the  progress  of 
this  dangerous  doctrine.  Whenever  the  reserved  rights  of  the  States 
are  encroached  upon,  the  citizens  of  every  State  are  interested,  and 
should  remonstrate  without  waiting  the  execution  of  the  impending 
unconstitutional  laws.f 

The  States  have  rights  which  should  be  firmly  maintained,  but  it  has 
been  settled  for  all  time  that  to  secede  from  the  Union  at  pleasure, 
without  the  consent  of  the  other  States,  is  not  a  right.J 

As  an  instance  of  his  firm  adherence  to  this  principle, 
at  a  period  in  our  nation's  history  when  strong  men 
quailed  and  sought  by  silence  to  avoid  the  storm,  his  con 
troversy,  since  famous,  with  Secretary  of  War  Stanton,  is 
referred  to.  In  March,  1864,  at  the  Jersey  City  depot, 
a  soldier  attached  to  a  Massachusetts  regiment  shot  and 


*  Inaugural,  1872.       f  Ibid.       J  Annual  Message,  1871. 


JOEL  PARKER.  19 

wounded  a  youth.  The  young  man  died.  The  soldier  was 
arrested  by  the  civil  authorities,  committed  to  jail,  and 
indicted  by  the  Hudson  county  court.  Before  the  trial 
came  on  Secretary  Stanton  wrote  to  Governor  Parker 
requesting  him  to  order  the  delivery  of  the  prisoner  into 
the  custody  of  the  United  States  military  authorities,  add 
ing  :  "  It  is  not  supposed  the  Governor  will  decline  this 
request,  but  should  he  do  so  it  will  be  the  duty  of  the 
department  to  urge  it,"  and  claiming  that  Governors  of 
other  States  had  not  hesitated  to  comply  with  similar 
requests.  Governor  Parker  replied  at  length  to  this 
communication,  taking  the  ground  that  the  Executive 
and  Judicial  branches  of  the  government  were  distinct 
and  independent,  and  that  he  had  no  right  to  interfere 
in  the  case.  That  the  decision  of  the  court  that  it  had 
jurisdiction  must  stand  until  reversed  by  its  own  action 
or  by  the  action  of  some  competent  tribunal  of  review, 
and  concluding  with  the  words:  "I  respectfully  decline 
to  order  the  prisoner  remitted  to  the  military  author 
ities."*  The  request  of  the  Secretary  of  War  was  not 
renewed,  and  so  the  time-honored  doctrine  of  the  fathers 
was  maintained  by  2s"ew  Jersey,  and  the  law  had  its  due 
course. 

ARMING      THE      NEGROES      AND      THE      EMANCIPATION 
PROCLAMATION. 

Governor  Parker  doubted  the  expediency  of  arming  the 
Southern  negroes.  In  a  letter  to  a  Township  Committee 
in  Hunterdon  county  he  said  he  was  satisfied  that  the 
Union  army  would  then  have  been  stronger,  both  in 
numbers  and  efficiency,  if  the  Government  had  never 
recruited  in  the  rebel  States.  To  insure  success,  he 
thought  the  people  should  be  willing  to  do  their  own 
fighting,  and  not  place  reliance  on  a  distinct  and  inferior 
race,  while  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  and  the  con 
sequent  arming  of  the  negroes  added  to  the  desperation 

*  Legislative  Documents,  1865. 


20  MEMORIAL    OF 

of  the  enemy  and  tended  to  build  up  an  almost  insur 
mountable  barrier  of  terms  to  pacification,  and  at  the 
same  time  quenched  the  spirit  of  volunteering  in  the 
North.* 

SOLDIERS    VOTING    IN    THE    FIELD. 

Under  the  Constitution  of  the  State,  as  it  then  stood, 
(since  amended),  there  was  no  provision  for  taking  the 
votes  of  the  soldiers  in  the  field.  The  subject  was  dis 
cussed  at  length  by  the  Legislature  and  resolutions  were 
adopted  requesting  the  military  authorities  to  permit  the 
soldiers  who  were  legal  voters  to  visit  their  homes  on  days 
of  election,  so  far  as  it  could  be  done  without  detriment 
to  the  service.  In  transmitting  these  resolutions  to  the 
President,  Governor  Parker  expressed  the  wish  that  all 
Xew  Jersey  soldiers,  without  distinction  of  party,  who 
could  be  spared,  should  be  allowed  to  come  home  on  elec 
tion  day,  and  especial  reference  was  made  to  soldiers  in 
hospitals  who  were  able  to  travel.  He  also  wrote  to  the 
State  Agent  requesting  him  to  look  after  the  soldiers 
about  Washington  and  assist  them  in  obtaining  furloughs 
for  this  purpose. f 

EXEMPTION    OF    GOVERNMENT    BONDS. 

Upon  other  public  questions  growing  out  of  the  war  he 
was  equally  frank  and  outspoken.  He  objected  to  the 
exemption  of  Government  bonds  from  taxation  as  unwise, 
because  it  tended  to  increase  the  riches  of  the  wealthy  at 
the  expense  of  the  poorer  classes,  but  the  faith  of  the  Gov 
ernment  having  been  pledged  the  agreement  should  be 
strictly  adhered  to ;  at  the  same  time  he  urged  that  the 
policy  should  be  abandoned,  and  that  new  loans  by  the 
Government  should  be  expressly  subjected  to  State  tax 
ation  at  a  rate  equal  to  the  assessment  on  other  property. 
He  also  recommended  the  passage  of  an  act  by  the  Legis 
lature  taxing  the  shares  of  the  capital  stock  of  all  National 
banks  within  the  State. J 

*  Legislative  Document*,  1865,  p.  132.       f  Ibid.  p.  148. 

I  Annual  Message,  1866.  . 


JOEL  PARKER.  21 

AN    ADMIRER    AND    FRIEND     OF    McCLELLAN. 

Governor  Parker  was  a  warm  admirer  and  friend  of 
General  McClellan.  He  believed  that  his  removal  from 
the  command  of  the  army  was  instigated  by  civilians  and 
politicians,  and  was  a  mistake  upon  the  part  of  the  mili 
tary  authorities.  "  This  Jersey  exile,"  he  said,  "  will  live 
in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen,  and  his  memory  will  be 
cherished  by  mankind  so  long  as  the  country  to  whose 
welfare  he  has  devoted  his  life  shall  have  a  history."* 

HIS    SUCCESSFUL    FINANCIAL    POLICY. 

His  administration  continued  until  after  the  close  of 
the  war.  During  his  term  of  office  not  a  single  bond  of 
the  State  was  sold  below  par,  while  the  premiums  on 
them  amounted  to  over  $100,000,  and  at  its  close  the  State 
did  not  owe  a  dollar  on  civil  account  and  had  in  its  treas 
ury  an  actual  cash  balance  of  over  $164, 000. f  In  his  first 
annual  message  he  recommended  the  passage  of  a  law 
providing  for  the  redemption  and  payment  of  the  bonds 
issued  for  the  expenses  of  raising  and  equipping  the  State 
troops  serving  in  the  war,  and  outlined  a  plan  for  that 
purpose.  The  Legislature  adopted  the  plan  and  recom 
mendation,  and  created  the  fund  known  as  the  Sinking 
Fund,  by  which  the  entire  war  debt  of  the  State,  amount 
ing  to  $3,000,000,  has  been  practically  paid  off  without 
resorting  to  a  direct  tax  upon  the  people  for  that  purpose, 
the  fund  now  in  hand  being  nearly  or  quite  sufficient  to 
meet  the  outstanding  bonds  as  they  fall  due  ;  in  addition 
the  fund  has  paid  in  interest  an  amount  exceeding  the 
original  debt. 

PROPOSED    FOR    THE    NOMINATION    FOR    PRESIDENT. 

At  the  close  of  his  first  gubernatorial  term  Governor 
Parker  at  once  resumed  his  professional  practice.  In 
1868,  in  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at  New 
York,  he  received  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  New  Jersey 

*  Address  at  Freehold,  18G4.    f  Annual  Message,  1866. 


22  MEMORIAL   OF 

delegation  for  the  Democratic  nomination  for  President 
of  the  United  States  on  every  ballot.  In  1876,  he  again 
received  the  same  vote  for  the  same  position.  In  that 
year  he  was  placed  at  the  head  of  the  electoral  ticket  and 
voted  for  Samuel  J.  Tilderi.  In  1884  he  was  again 
strongly  urged  as  the  Democratic  Presidential  candidate. 

RE-ELECTED     GOVERNOR. 

In  1871,  prior  to  the  assembling  of  the  Democratic 
State  Convention,  he  positively  declined  to  be  a  candidate 
for  nomination  for  Governor,  but  the  enthusiasm  of  that 
Convention  compelled  him  to  yield,  and  he  was  nomi 
nated  by  acclamation,  all  the  other  candidates  having 
been  withdrawn  by  their  friends.  At  the  election  which 
followed  he  was  successful  by  about  six  thousand  major 
ity,  which,  although  less  than  his  majority  in  1862,  was 
yet  a  more  decisive  victory  for  him,  in  consideration  of 
all  the  circumstances.  At  no  time  had  the  Republican 
party  been  so  powerful  as  in  that  year,  carrying  every 
other  Northern  State  by  strong  majorities.  In  that  year, 
for  the  first  time,  colored  men  voted  in  New  Jersey,  and 
that  vote  (about  7,000  strong)  was  cast  solidly  against 
Governor  Parker,  who  ran  about  nine  thousand  ahead  of 
his  ticket,  the  other  Democratic  candidates  being  beaten 
by  about  three  thousand  votes. 

HIS    SECOND    TERM. 

His  second  term  as  Governor  was  conspicuously  suc 
cessful.  The  exciting  questions  which  presented  them 
selves  during  his  first  term  did  not  exist,  but  there  were 
many  topics  of  legislation  which  were  important  and  ex 
cited  much  interest.  The  statute  books  show  that  more 
laws  were  passed  in  1872,  '73  and  '74  than  ever  before  or 
since  in  the  same  length  of  time.  It  was  under  his  ad 
ministration  that  the  General  Railroad  Law  (of  which  he 
was  an  advocate)  was  passed,  and  the  constitutional 
amendments  which  brought  about  important  reforms  were 


JOEL  PARKER.  23 

adopted.     The   National    Guard  was  also,  under  his  ad 
ministration,  brought  to  a  high  degree  of  efficiency. 

The  same  frankness  that  characterized  his  treatment  of 
public  questions  during  the  excitement  of  the  Civil  War 
was  apparent  in  his  administration  of  civil  affairs  during 
his  second  term. 

THE    LABOR    QUESTION. 

Upon  the  Labor  question  just  then  coming  into  promi 
nence  he  held  that  there  should  be  no  conflict  between 
labor  and  capital ;  that  the  interests  of  both  could  be  so 
harmonized  as  to  benefit  both ;  that  the  rights  of  capital 
should  be  protected,  yet  it  was  so  powerful  that  the  watch 
ful  care  of  legislation  was  necessary  to  defend  labor  from 
its  impositions.  Among  other  things  he  recommended 
the  abandonment  of  all  class  legislation  as  inimical  to  the 
interest  of  the  laboring  classes,  and  a  rigid  inquiry  into 
the  treatment  of  children  in  workshops  and  factories — 
their  minds  should  not  be  left  untutored,  and  the  cupidi 
ty  of  employers  or  the  necessities  of  parents  should  not 
be  permitted  to  overtax  their  energies.* 

MUNICIPAL    BOARDS    AND    COMMISSIONS. 

He  earnestly  opposed  the  system  which  had  grown  up 
during  the  war  of  governing  cities  by  municipal  boards 
or  commissions  appointed  by  the  Legislature.  Being  ir 
responsible  to  the  people,  they  became  a  vast  political 
machine,  exercising  a  dangerous  power  beyond  the  bounds 
of  their  jurisdiction,  and  imposing  burdens  of  taxation 
for  the  benefit  of  a  favored  few,  without  the  consent  of 
the  people,  and  which  they  were  powerless  to  resist.  He 
denounced  it  as  the  worst  form  of  tyranny,  and  urged 
that  the  nearer  the  ballot-box  we  bring  the  responsibility 
of  the  officer,  the  better  administration  we  would  have, 


Inaugural,  1872. 


24  MEMORIAL  OF 

and  that  we  should  not  be  afraid  to  trust  the  people  to 
govern  themselves.* 

JURY    COMMISSIONS. 

During  the  session  of  1873  he  vetoed  a  bill  to  take  the 
power  of  selecting  grand  and  petit  jurors  from  the  hands 
of  the  Sheriff  of  Hudson  County  and  vest  it  in  a  com 
mission  of  two  persons,  to  be  appointed  by  the  Judges  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  In  this  case  Governor 
Parker  said : 

If  we  have  just  and  fair  men  to  select  and  impanel  our  jurors,  it 
makes  but  little  difference,  practically,  by  whom  they  are  chosen,  or 
whether  they  are  called  by  the  name  of  commissioner  or  sheriff.  But 
suppose  the  officer  entrusted  with  this  delicate  and  important  duty 
shall  abuse  his  trust,  and  use  his  office  for  corrupt  or  selfish  purposes, 
it  is  very  important  that  the  people  get  rid  of  him  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  sheriff  is  elected  annually!  by  a  direct  vote  of  the  people,  and  if 
he  prove  unfit  or  unworthy,  the  position  may  be  filled  by  another  at 
the  next  election ;  but  an  incompetent  or  corrupt  commissioner,  ap 
pointed  in  the  way  this  bill  proposes,  would  be  beyond  the  power  of 
removal  by  the  people.  He  may  be  retained  as  long  as  the  major  part 
of  the  Common  Pleas  Judges  shall  determine.  The  Judges  themselves 
are  independent  of  the  people  of  the  county,  for  they  are  appointed 
for  five  years  by  a  body  of  representatives  from  every  section  of  the 
.State.  I  have  no  doubt  that  the  framers  of  the  law  so  long  existing  in 
this  State,  which  allows  the  Sheriff  to  hold  the  office  for  three  years, 
.and  yet  requires  his  election  every  year,  had  in  view  this  vital  ques 
tion,  and  intended  that  the  people  should  not  part  with  their  control 
over  the  officer  who  had  the  selection  of  the  jurors,  to  whom  their 
dearest  rights  and  privileges  are  committed.  The  trial  by  jury  has 
justly  been  denominated  the  principal  bulwark  of  the  people's  liber 
ties.  *  *  *  I  am  not  willing  to  affix  my  signature  to  a  bill  which, 
in  effect,  if  not  in  words,  declares  that  the  people  of  that  county  are 
incapable  of  self-government.;}: 

BRIBERY    AT    ELECTIONS. 

He  held  that  bribery  at  elections  imperilled  the  exist 
ence  of  free  governments,  and  that  unless  the  elective 
franchise  could  be  protected  from  .corrupt  influences  our 
whole  system  would  be  destroyed.  He  denounced  cor- 


*  Inaugural,  1872.       f  The  law  in  this  respect  has  since  been  changed. 
I  Legislative  Documents,  1873. 


JOEL  PARKER.  25 

ruption  in  office  as  the  prevailing  sin  of  the  day,  which 
had  become  a  national  reproach.  Men  whose  characters 
in  private  life  were  above  suspicion  seemed  to  lose  moral 
tone  as  soon  as  they  obtained  official  position.  They  did 
not  appear  to  realize  the  fact  that  peculation  from  the 
public  treasury  was  infinitely  worse  than  robbing  from 
their  neighbor's  person,  and  a  morbid  public  sentiment 
had  grown  up,  especially  among  the  young,  that  prevent 
ed  them  from  realizing  the  heinousness  of  official  fraud, 
while  a  failure  of  public  officials  to  duplicate  their  legal 
pay  was  by  many  considered  as  evidence  of  incapacity. 
The  chief  cause  of  the  increase  of  corruption  he  attrib 
uted  to  the  fact  that  guilty  persons  when  discovered  were 
allowed  to  go  unwhipped  of  justice,  and  it  would  not 
cease  until  the  men  who  thus  abused  their  trusts  were 
compelled  not  only  to  disgorge  their  ill-gotten  gains,  but 
were  dealt  with  as  common  felons.  "  He  who  robs  the 
people  of  their  treasure  should  certainly  stand  no  better 
before  the  law,  or  in  society,  than  the  vagrant  whom  ne 
cessity  drives  to  crime.  Equal  justice  should  be  adminis 
tered  to  all,  without  regard  to  high  position,  respectable 
connections,  aristocracy  of  birth  and  association,  or  ad 
ventitious  wealth."* 


Governor  Parker  was  essentially  a  party  man  and 
neglected  no  opportunity  to  advance  the  interests  of  his 
party,  yet  his  first  consideration  was  always  the  public 
interests.  In  all  of  his  appointments,  military  and  civil, 
he  carefully  scrutinized  the  character  and  qualifications 
of  the  applicants  for  positions,  and  the  fitness  of  the  ap 
pointee  generally  silenced  the  clamor  of  the  friends  of 
disappointed  candidates.  The  distribution  of  official 
patronage  is  the  rock  upon  which  the  popularity  of  the 
Executive  is  generally  wrecked,  and  it  is  a  noteworthy 
fact  that  Governor  Parker  retired  at  the  close  of  both  of 

*  Inaugural,  1872. 


26  MEMORIAL  OF 

his  terms  with  his  popularity  unimpaired,  and  yet  he 
made  more  appointments  than  any  other  man  who  has 
ever  filled  the  Executive  chair  of  our  State.  During  his 
first  term  he  made  thousands  of  appointments  and  promo 
tions  in  the  New  Jersey  regiments  in  the  field,  and  in  not 
one  of  them  was  it  ever  charged  that  it  was  made  for 
political  reasons  only. 

A    FRIEND    OF    PUBLIC     SCHOOLS     AND    REFORMATORIES. 

He  was  always  a  warm  and  earnest  friend  of  our  public 
school  system,  and  neglected  no  opportunity  to  advance 
its  interests  and  to  Commend  it  to  the  fostering  care  of 
the  State.  The  schools  became  free  at  the  opening  of  his 
second  term  as  Governor,  and  in  his  Inaugural  he  recom 
mended  that  whatever  was  required  to  keep  them  free 
should  be  done.  He  commended  the  appropriation  of 
the  rentals  and  sales  of  riparian  rights  to  the  school  fund, 
and  believed  that  if  the  fund  thus  created  was  wisely 
administered  it  would,  in  addition  to  the  income  of  the 
fund  from  other  sources,  produce  a  sum  sufficient  to 
make  the  schools  free  forever,  without  taxation  for  that 
purpose.* 

He  was  also  warmly  interested  in  the  reformation  of 
youthful  criminals,  and  urged  that  their  incarceration  in 
the  State  Prison,  in  contact  with  hardened  offenders,  pre 
vented  reformation. f  In  1864  he  appointed  a  commission 
in  accordance  with  an  act  of  the  Legislature  of  that  year, 
to  inquire  into  the  methods  adopted  by  other  States,  and 
to  report  a  system  of  reform  adapted  to  our  own  State. 
In  his  message  of  1865,  referring  to  the  report  of  this 
committee,  he  recommended  the  establishment  of  a  Re 
form  School,  out  of  which  grew  the  present  excellent 
institution  under  that  name,  and  which  has  been  the 
means  of  reclaiming  and  restoring  to  society,  as  useful 
members  thereof,  hundreds  of  youths  who  otherwise 
would  have  grown  up  in  the  ranks  of  the  criminal  classes. 

*  Inaugural,  1872.       f  Annual  Message,  1864. 


JOEL  PARKER.  27 

FOR    A    NON-PARTISAN    JUDICIARY. 

In  the  gubernatorial  campaign  of  1859  the  leading 
issue  in  the  State  was  the  question  of  a  non-partisan  judi 
ciary,  growing  out  of  a  difference  between  the  Executive 
and  the  Senate  on  the  appointment  of  a  Chancellor  dur 
ing  the  Legislative  session  of  that  year,  which  left  the 
office  vacant  and  temporarily  closed  the  Court.  Mr. 
Parker  took  the  ground  that  the  people  of  New  Jersey 
did  not  desire  to  have  a  change  in  the  constitution  of  the 
Court  with  every  change  of  the  Executive.  The  Judi 
ciary,  he  maintained,  should  be  composed  of  competent 
and  experienced  men,  the  farthest  removed  from  political 
bitterness ;  that  such  offices  should  not  be  regarded  as 
the  property  of  a  party,  and  that  the  only  inquiry  should 
be:  "What  is  best  for  the  interests  of  the  public?"* 
Subsequently,  when  he  became  Governor,  he  carried  this 
principle  out  in  practice  and  made  his  judicial  appoint 
ments  from  the  ranks  of  both  parties.  Referring  to  the 
well-deserved  reputation  throughout  the  country  of  our 
courts  of  justice,  he  said  : 

There  is  not  on  record  a  single  decision  of  our  courts  open  to  the 
faintest  suspicion  of  partisanship  or  corrupt  influence.  The  importance 
of  maintaining  the  high  character  of  the  Judiciary  cannot  be  over-esti 
mated.  Where  the  fountain  of  justice  becomes  impure  there  cannot 
be  good  government.  The  property,  liberty  and  lives  of  the  people 
are  in  the  hands  of  the  courts.  To  insure  respect  for  judicial  decisions, 
there  should  not  be  even  the  appearance  of  partiality  or  bias.  Should 
all  the  judges  be  of  the  same  political  organization,  the  usefulness  of 
the  court  would  be  impaired,  and  in  times  of  excitement  its  opinions 
be  shorn  of  that  degree  of  weight  which  should  always  accompany  the 
administration  of  justice.f 

ENCOURAGED    FOREIGN    IMMIGRATION. 

He  did  not  sympathize  with  the  idea  that  foreign  im 
migration  was  injurious  to  the  general  interests  or  sub 
versive  of  American  institutions.  On  the  other  hand,  he 
welcomed  the  industrious  immigrant  to  assist  in  develop 
ing  the  inexhaustible  resources  of  the  West  and  South. 

*  Letter  in  Newark  Evening  Journal,  September  12, 1859.        f  Inaugural,  1872. 


28  MEMORIAL   OF 

Our  territory  was  capable  of  sustaining  hundreds  of  mil 
lions  of  prosperous  and  happy  people,  and  every  induce 
ment  should  be  held  out  to  promote  its  settlement. 
"  Why  wait  a  century  for  what  may  be  accomplished  in 
a  generation  ?  Why  delay  our  manifest  destiny  ?  *  * 
Welcome  them  to  our  shores.  Bid  them  come  and  occu 
py  the  land,  build  up  the  waste  places  and  obliterate  the 
ravages  of  war."*  And  again,  after  referring  to  the 
report  of  Prof.  Geo.  H.  Cook,f  that  over  a  million  acres 
of  land  in  New  Jersey,  within  convenient  distance  of 
marl,  were  unimproved,  and  might  be  brought  under 
cultivation  with  profitable  result,  he  said : 

The  time  has  come  for  the  Legislature  to  inaugurate  a  system  by 
means  of  which  immigration  shall  be  invited  and  encouraged.  *  *  * 
With  proper  exertion,  the  sparsely  settled  districts  so  near  the  two 
great  cities,  possessing,  in  addition  to  the  advantages  already  men 
tioned,  a  salubrious  climate,  free  schools  and  good  laws  administered 
by  a  learned  and  incorruptible  judiciary,  can  soon  be  filled  with  hon 
est,  hardy  and  industrious  colonists.  As  population  adds  to  the  real 
wealth  of  a  State,  the  subject  is  worthy  the  attention  of  the  Legis 
lature  4 

HOW    HE    EXERCISED    THE    VETO    POWER. 

He  did  not  hesitate  to  use  the  veto  power  whenever  he 
deemed  it  to  be  necessary.  Among  the  notable  instances 
in  which  he  exercised  this  prerogative  were  the  vetoes  of 
the  bills  repealing  the  law  requiring  joint  resolutions  to 
be  submitted  to  the  Governor  for  his  approval  ;§  creating 
a  jury  commission  for  Hudson  County  ;||  and  extending 
the  provisions  of  the  act  last  named  to  Essex  County.** 
All  of  these  measures  contained  provisions  which  he  con 
sidered  inimical  to  the  interests  of  the  people  or  subver 
sive  of  the  principles  of  good  government. 

ATTORNEY-GENERAL    AND    JUDGE. 

After  the  expiration  of  his  second  term  as  Governor  he 
resumed  his  professional  business  at  Freehold,  and  soon 

*  Inaugural,  1872.       f  Report  of  State  Board  of  Agriculture,  1874. 

J  Annual  Message,  1874.    \  Legislative  Documents,  1872.     ||  Ibid,  1874.    **  Ibid,  1874. 


JOEL  PARKER.  29 

acquired  a  large  practice.  On  the  27th  of  January,  1875, 
he  was  nominated  by  Governor  Bedle  as  Attorney-Gen 
eral  of  the  State,  and  was  confirmed  by  the  Senate  with 
out  reference.  He  held  this  position  until  the  5th  of 
April  following,  when  he  resigned  it  in  order  to  give 
exclusive  attention  to  his  private  practice.  In  1880  he 
was  nominated  by  Governor  McClellan  and  confirmed  by 
the  Senate  as  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State, 
and  was  assigned  to  the  Second  Judicial  District,  com 
prising  the  counties  of  Gloucester,  Camden  and  Burling 
ton,  and  was  reappointed  to  the  same  position,  on  the 
expiration  of  his  term,  by  Governor  Green,  in  February 
of  last  year. 

In  his  judicial  career,  in  all  his  relations  to  the  Bar,  and  to  its  indi 
vidual  members,  he  was  kind,  considerate  and  courteous,  and  to  his 
duties  in  this  position  he  brought  to  bear  the  indefatigable  industry 
which  had  characterized  his  efforts  in  other  departments  of  the  public 
service  and  in  his  private  practice.  As  a  judge  he  was  painstaking, 
faithful,  and  sagacious.  His  strong  common  sense  supplied  his  judg 
ment  with  qualities  which  distinguished  them  as  judicial  deliverances.* 
He  was  always  kind  and  courteous  to  the  younger  members  of  the 
Bar,  and  he  would  not  allow  any  opponent  to  take  unfair  advantage 
of  another  to  defeat  the  ends  of  justice,  or  allow  the  law  to  be-made  an 
engine  of  injustice  for  the  oppression  of  any  citizen.  If  there  ever  was 
a  man  who  guarded  the  liberties  of  the  people  upon  the  Bench,  that 
man  was  Judge  Parker.  Cases  arising  from  spite,  ill  will,  or  anything 
of  that  kind,  found  no  favor  in  his  Court.f  Other  men  have  been 
more  profound  jurists — more  eloquent  as  orators — more  learned — more 
original — but  with  their  every  genius  in  these  directions  they  have 
had  a  corresponding  lack  in  some  other  quarter,  and  your  man  of  pro 
found  learning  has  often  been  neglectful  in  affairs.  Your  brilliant 
orator,  or  even  profound  jurist,  may  be  unworthy  of  the  trusts  that 
have  been  confided  to  him,  but  Judga  Parker,  possessing  none  of  these 
qualities  in  an  exalted  degree,  more  than  compensated  for  them  by  the 
profound  balance  of  his  character.  Like  such  men  as  Hampden  and 
Washington,  he  was  valuable  because  of  the  sturdy  reliability  of  his 
temperament,  and  for  the  earnestness  and  zeal  with  which  he  entered 
into  the  public  service,  rather  than  for  any  startling  brilliancy  in  any 
one  direction  ;  so  that  what  we  all  instinctively  recognize  in  him  is  not 
some  quality  or  attainment  which  he  happened  to  possess,  but  the 

*  Mr.  Samuel  H.  Grey's  report  to  the  meeting  of  the  Camden  Bar. 
t  Mr.  Scovel's  address  to  the  ^amden  Bar. 


30  MEMORIAL    OF 

man  himself,  with  his  evenly  balanced  qualities,  which  make  him  the 
type  to  our  minds  of  all  that  goes  to  make  up  a  thoroughly  worthy 
man  and  the  most  admirable  kind  of  citizen  that  any  State  can  pos- 


HIS     DEVOTION     TO    DUTY. 

Devotion  to  duty  was  a  ruling  principle  of  his  life.  This 
trait  in  his  character  is  well  expressed  in  the  following 
extract  from  Mr.  Grey's  address  : 

It  was  Judge  Parker's  secret  pride,  expressed  in  confidential  words 
to  confidential  friends,  that  while  he  held  public  office  he  exercised 
his  power  for  the  public  good,  to  the  best  of  his  judgment.  *  *  * 
This  distinguishing  characteristic — this  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of 
duty — this  self-abnegation  and  devotion  to  public  service,  united  with 
the  amiable  characteristics  of  his  nature,  made  him  during  his  life  the 
most  conspicuous  of  Jerseymen,  and  contributed  at  his  death  to  that 
most  touching  and  eloquent  manifestation  of  public  appreciation  of  his 
character  at  his  funeral,  when  men  from  all  walks  of  life — from  posi 
tions  of  responsibility — from  active,  engrossing  and  responsible  pur 
suits — all  sorts  and  conditions  of  men  gathered  from  all  quarters  of 
the  State  of  New  Jersey,  at  an  inclement  season,  at  an  inaccessible 
place,  to  testify  by  their  presence  to  the  estimation  in  which  this  man 
was  held  by  his  fellow-citizens.  Not  because  he  was  a  Judge  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  and  as  such  had  faithfully  discharged  his 
judicial  duty  ;  not  because  he  was  a  prominent  member  of  a  great  po 
litical  organization,  and  as  such  had  maintained  for  years  successful 
leadership,  but  because  in  all  his  positions,  many  and  responsible  as 
they  were — because  in  all  his  career,  lengthened  as  it  was — he  had 
faithfully  discharged  every  duty  and  fully  met  every  obligation  which 
was  put  upon  him.  That  lesson  is  one  which  he  leaves  behind.! 

PRIDE  IX  HIS  NATIVE  STATE. 

Joel  Parker  was  essentially  a  Jerseyman.  He  was 
proud  of  his  native  State  and  entertained  a  profound 
admiration  for  its  history.  One  of  his  earlier  literary 
efforts  was  the  preparation  of  a  lecture  on  "  The  Early 
History  of  Xew  Jersey,"  which  he  delivered  in  various 
parts  of  the  State  with  great  acceptahility.  When  he 
delivered  it  at  Trenton,  according  to  a  notice  at  the  time 
in  one  of  the  daily  newspapers  of  that  city,|  his  audience 
rewarded  him  at  the  close  "  with  a  vote  of  thanks  and 


*  Mr.  Charles  G.  Garrison's  address  to  the  Camden  Bar. 

t  Samuel  H.  Grey's  address  to  the  Camden  Bar.       %  State  Gazette,  March  3,  1859. 


JOEL  PARKER.  31 

three  hearty  cheers,"  the  latter  certainly  a  novelty  in  con 
nection  with  a  purely  literary  essay,  but  showing  conclu 
sively  the  spirit  that  pervaded  it  and  the  inspiration  that 
was  communicated  by  its  delivery.  This  innate  State 
pride  was  apparent  at  all  times,  and  was  not  to  be  sup 
pressed  even  in  his  State  papers.  At  the  conclusion  of 
one  of  his  annual  messages*  he  uses  the  following  elo 
quent  language,  which  cannot  fail  to  find  a  response  in 
the  heart  of  every  true  Jerseyman  : 

The  State  for  which  you  legislate  occupies  a  proud  position.  In 
every  emergency  she  has  proved  true  to  her  revolutionary  fame.  In 
every  war  in  which  the  country  has  been  engaged,  New  Jersey  has 
contributed  freely  of  her  treasure  and  her  sons.  Her  people  are  pa 
triotic  and  conservative,  and  eminently  national.  They  have  always 
been  willing  to  stand  by  the  contract  as  our  fathers  made  it.  They 
have  always  observed  the  constitutional  rights  of  other  States  and  of 
the  nation.  They  love  the  Union  and  will  labor  for  its  preservation 
as  the  first  great  object  to  be  accomplished. 

And    again,  at   the  close    of  an  address    delivered    at 
Freehold,  he  said : 

I  am  proud  of  this  gallant  little  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  would  not 
to-night  exchange  my  position  as  her  Chief  Magistrate  for  the  crown 
of  the  most  powerful  kingdom  of  the  old  world. f 

He  always  warmly  resented  any  indignity  aimed  at  the 
State.  During  the  war  a  bill  was  introduced  in  Congress, 
under  the  power  of  the  general  government  to  create  post 
routes  and  military  roads,  to  confer  upon  certain  railroads 
in  New  Jersey  certain  privileges  for  the  transportation  of 
goods  and  merchandise,  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  the 
State.  Governor  Parker  at  once  sent  a  message  to  the 
Legislature  J  reciting  the  facts,  and  concluding  as  follows  : 

The  passage  of  such  an  act  (although  of  no  binding  force,  because 
unconstitutional),  wrould  be  an  insult  to  the  people  of  New  Jersey. 
It  would  take  the  creatures  of  our  law,  now  under  the  ban  of  judicial 
injunction  for  violation  of  our  statutes,  and,  in  direct  opposition  to 
the  decision  of  our  courts,  attempt  to  make  them  independent  of  and 
superior  to  the  power  that  created  them.  Such  action  deserves,  and 
should  receive,  the  strongest  legislative  remonstrance.  Let  it  be  dis- 


*  Annual  Message,  1864. 

f  Monmouth  Democrat,  August  25, 1864.       \  Special  Message,  March  23, 1864. 


32  MEMORIAL    OF 

tinctly  understood  by  those  who  would  inflict  this  wrong  and  indig 
nity  upon  our  State,  that  while  New  Jersey  will  comply  with  every 
legal  obligation,  and  will  respect  and  protect  the  rights  of  all,  she  will 
not  permit  any  infringement  of  her  rights  without  resorting  to  every 
lawful  means  to  prevent  it. 

FAITH  IN  THE  FUTURE  OF  THE  COUNTRY. 

He  also  loved  his  country,  was  proud  of  its  history,  and 
had  an  abiding  faith  in  its  future.  Upon  this  point,  and 
referring  to  the  second  centennial  of  its  history,  he  said : 

At  the  rate  of  increase  that  has  marked  her  progress  in  the  past,  she 
will  at  the  close  of  the  next  century  contain  a  population  of  hundreds 
of  millions.  As  the  leading  power  of  the  West,  she  will  announce  and 
maintain  the  policy  that  should  control  America.  That  policy  wrill 
surely  be  annexation  to  herself  or  the  maintenance  of  republican  gov 
ernment  in  all  the  countries  and  islands  of  this  hemisphere.  The  op 
pressed  people  of  every  clime,  especially  those  in  her  own  vicinage 
struggling  for  independence,  will  have  her  sympathy  and  recognition. 
Barbarities  which  disgrace  humanity  and  shock  the  civilized  world 
will  no  longer  be  tolerated.  The  shackles  of  the  slave  will  be  broken 
wTherever  her  policy  extends.  And  this,  the  American  policy  of  the 
second  century  of  the  existence  of  the  nation,  will  be  upheld  by  her — 
not  for  the  purpose  of  aggrandizement — not  for  the  sake  of  exercising 
arbitrary  force — not  from  motives  of  ambition  that  would  delight  in 
agitation  or  conflict  of  arms — but  as  a  duty  imposed  by  the  Supreme 
Ruler  of  the  Universe  on  this  the  great  Power  of  the  Western  Hemi 
sphere,  to  elevate  humanity  therein  and  diffuse  the  blessings  of  liberty 
and  Christian  civilization.* 

AS    A    POLITICIAN. 

"  He  was  a  politician  not  in  the  low  sense  in  which  men 
may  be  politicians,  but  in  the  higher  and  more  exalted 
sense  in  which  a  man  as  a  member  of  the  community  acts 
in  the  interests  of  his  fellow-citizens  for  the  welfare  and 
weal  of  the  State.  In  whatever  position  we  find  him, 
whether  in  the  Legislature,  as  Governor,  as  Attorney- 
General  or  as  Judge,  we  find  him  always  governed  by  a 
desire  to  do  right.  His  views  were  not  circumscribed  by 
narrow  limits — he  saw  the  whole  State  and  its  conditions 
at  a  glance.  His  finger  was  naturally  upon  the  public 
pulse,  and  his  discernment  enabled  him  instinctively  to 

*  Annual  Message,  1874. 


JOEL  PARKER.  33 

anticipate  the  public  necessities.  As  Governor  of  the 
State  he  exhibited  in  a  peculiar  way  the  patriotic  instincts 
of  his  nature.  There  was  no  disloyalty  in  his  composi 
tion."*  "  His  public  life  and  doings  constitute  the  most 
important  part  of  the  history  of  our  State  for  the  last 
quarter  of  a  century.  His  support  came  from  the  people  ; 
he  was  of  them  and  he  preferred  them.  He  boasted  of 
his  yeoman  ancestry.  The  greatness  he  desired  was  the 
greatness  which  industry  and  merit  gives.  He  preferred 
to  be  the  first  of  a  respected  house,  rather  than  the  second, 
living  on  the  prestige  of  a  borrowed  light. "f 

AS    A    LAWYER. 

"  As  a  lawyer  he  was  not  disposed  to  technicalities,  nor 
was  he  dogmatic  or  pertinacious.  His  chief  desire  seemed 
to  be  to  try  a  case  upon  its  merits,  and  he  tried  and 
argued  it  with  all  due  respect  to  the  court  and  the 
counsel.  "J 

HIS    PUBLIC    AND    PRIVATE     ECONOMY. 

A  prominent  trait  of  his  character  was  his  economy, 
which  was  exhibited  in  his  public  as  well  as  in  his  private 
affairs.  It  was  not  a  miserly  economy  that  would  deny 
proper  and  liberal  expenditures,  but  one  that  guarded 
carefully  against  wastefulness  or  extravagance.  In  his 
personal  affairs  he  at  all  times  maintained  his  family  in  a 
style  according  well  with  his  means  and  the  place  that 
he  filled.  After  he  became  Governor  he  rebuilt  the 
family  mansion  with  the  proceeds  of  the  inheritance  from 
his  father's  estate,  making  it  the  largest  and  most  impos 
ing  one  in  the  town,  and  furnished  it  in  a  style  consistent 
with  its  exterior.  In  it  he  entertained  his  guests  in  a 
manner  befitting  his  station.  He  felt  his  importance  as 
Chief  Magistrate  of  the  Commonwealth  of  which  he  was 
so  proud,  and  magnified  his  position  in  all  his  surround 
ings.  "  He  was  every  inch  the  Governor,"  whether  at 

*  Mr.  Philip  S.  Scovel's  remarks  at  the  meeting  of  the  Camden  Bar. 
f  Mr.  John  W.  Wartman's  remarks  at  the  meeting  of  the  Camden  Bar. 
I  Mr.  Philip  S.  Scovel  at  the  meeting  of  the  Camden  Bar. 


34  MEMORIAL   OF 

home  or  abroad,  but  never  in  an  offensive  sense,  for  the 
people  everywhere  appeared  to  be  as  proud  of  him  as  he 
was  of  the  office  which  he  so  nobly  filled.  In  his  first 
inaugural  he  outlined  his  views  on  public  economy,  and 
to  these  he  adhered  throughout  his  public  career.  He 
said  on  that  occasion  : 

In  conducting  the  operations  of  our  State  Government,  the  strictest 
economy  should  be  exercised.  This  is  especially  important  at  a  time 
when  we  are  subjected  to  extraordinary  expenses  in  consequence  of 
the  deplorable  civil  war  in  which  we  are  involved.  In  the  midst  of 
business  depression  and  financial  derangement  and  in  view  of  increas 
ing  taxation,  unnecessary  expenditure  of  the  people's  money  should 
be  scrupulously  avoided.  Extravagant  appropriations  by  government 
not  only  fasten  heavy  burthens  on  the  people,  but  tend  to  corrupt  pub 
lic  morals  and  increase  private  profligacy. 

At  another  time,  referring  to  the  enormous  expenditures 
incident  to  the  Civil  War,  he  said  the  people  seemed  to 
have  lost  a  proper  appreciation  of  the  value  of  money, 
and  to  have  become  careless  of  its  use — that  the  economy 
of  former  times  was  now  by  many  considered  parsimony. 
The  extravagance  in  both  public  and  private  life,  entailed 
by  the  war,  was  a  greater  burden  than  the  public  debt, 
and  while  he  held  that  every  dollar  of  the  latter,  principal 
and  interest,  must  be  paid,  he  urged  that  ^N"ew  Jersey,  in 
its  legislation  involving  appropriations  of  the  public  mon 
ey,  should  be  foremost  in  rescuing  the  country  from  the 
new  danger  with  which  it  wras  threatened.* 

AS    A    LEADER    IN    HIS     TOWN    AND    COUNTY. 

He  always  took  a  warm  interest  in  the  public  enter 
prises  of  his  town  and  county,  and  promoted  them  by 
every  means  at  his  command.  During  all  the  earlier 
years  of  his  active  life  he  was  looked  up  to  as  the  leader, 
his  well-known  perseverance  and  energy  giving  promise 
of  success  to  every  movement  to  which  he  lent  his  aid. 
Among  the  prominent  enterprises  in  which  he  was  active 
ly  engaged  were  the  construction  of  the  railroad  between 
Freehold  and  Jamesburg,  which  was  first  opened  to  the 

*  Inaugural.,  1872. 


JOEL  PARKER.  35 

public  in  1853  ;  the  County  Agricultural  Society,  of  which 
he  was  the  founder,  in  the  same  year,  and  the  Battle 
Monument,  which  he  originated.  Of  the  success  of  these 
enterprises  and  of  his  association  with  them  he  was  always 
proud.  The  latter  was  the  crowning  enterprise  of  his  life, 
into  which  he  entered  with  all  the  zeal  of  his  nature. 
The  beautiful  shaft  which  now  marks  the  spot  \vhere  the 
first  engagement  of  that  memorable  day  took  place,  is 
alike  a  monument  to  the  fame  of  our  revolutionary  fathers 
and  to  the  patriotism  and  energy  of  the  man  who  was 
before  all  others  instrumental  in  its  erection,  and  forever 
links  his  name  with  those  of  the  heroes  of  the  Revolution. 

HOW    HE    BUILT    THE    BATTLE-MONUMENT. 

This  enterprise  was  first  publicly  broached  by  Governor 
Parker  in  an  address  at  a  local  anniversary  in  Freehold, 
in  the  summer  of  1877,  and  at  the  same  time  he  suggested 
the  action  which  resulted  in  the  organization,  three 
months  later,  of  an  association  of  which  he  was  made 
President,  having  for  its  object  the  solicitation  of  funds 
for  the  erection  of  the  monument.  During  the  three 

O 

years  that  ensued  he  gave  much  of  his  time  to  the  work, 
sometimes  under  circumstances  of  the  greatest  discour 
agement.  He  organized  committees  of  ladies  and  gentle 
men  in  every  township  in  Monmouth,  delivered  addresses 
on  every  available  occasion,  personally  superintended 
fairs,  festivals,  lectures,  and  other  public  entertainments 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  funds,  and  even  enlisted  the 
school-children  throughout  the  county  in  the  work.  He 
aimed  to  secure  $10,000  by  private  subscription,  and  as  a 
last  resort  to  bring  up  the  deficiency  of  this  sum,  he  went 
among  wealth}'  persons  of  his  acquaintance  outside  of  his 
county  and  State  and  levied  contributions.  Having 
secured  this  amount  he  next  made  an  appeal  to  the  Legis 
lature  and  then  to  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  in 
both  of  which  he  was  successful.  The  corner-stone  of  the 
monument  was  laid,  with  imposing  civil  and  military 


36  MEMORIAL  OF 

ceremonies,  on  the  centennial  anniversary  of  the  battle, 
in  the  presence  of  Governor  McClellan  and  many  dis 
tinguished  guests.  The  monument  was  completed,  and 
the  unveiling  ceremonies,  which  exceeded  in  extent  and 
pageantry  that  of  any  other  public  occasion  hitherto  held 
in  the  State,  took  place  on  the  13th  of  November,  1884, 
in  the  presence  of  Governor  Abbett  and  a  great  concourse 
of  public  officials,  civil  and  military  organizations,  and 
invited  guests.* 

HIS    SOCIAL    RELATIONS,    MARRIAGE    AND    DEATH. 

Although  his  long  and  busy  life  was  crowded  with 
great  public  cares,  he  did  not  forget  the  minor  public 
duties  nor  the  obligations  of  social  life.  He  was  one  of 
the  original  members  of  the  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  of  his 
town  and  always  retained  an  interest  in  its  welfare ;  in 
his  earlier  years  he  took  an  active  part  in  its  affairs,  filling 
the  different  official  positions  and  representing  it  in  the 
State  Grand  Lodge.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Ma 
sonic  lodge  of  his  town.  In  both  of  these  organizations 
he  remained  an  honored  member  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  was  for  many  years  a  member  of  the  Union 
Fire  Company  of  Trenton,  and  of  the  Fire  Department  of 
Freehold,  aiding  both  with  his  counsels  and  his  purse. 
He  was  also  a  member  of  the  Commandery  of  the  State 
of  Pennsylvania  of  the  Military  Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion 
of  the  United  States ;  a  member  of  the  Tammany  Society 
of  New  York  City,  and  an  honorary  member  of  the 
Society  of  the  Cincinnati  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  In 
1881  he  united  with  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Freehold, 
on  confession  of  faith,  and  afterward  remained  an  accept 
able  member  and  communicant  of  that  church.  In  1843 
he  was  married  to  Maria  M.,  eldest  daughter  of  Samuel 
R.  Gummere,  Clerk  in  Chancery  of  New  Jersey,  who 
survives  him,  with  two  sons,  Charles  and  Frederick,  both 
practicing  lawyers  of  some  years'  standing  at  the  Bar  of 

*  See  Memorial  of  Committee  of  Arrangements,  1885. 


JOEL  PARKER.  37 

Monrnouth  County,  and  a  daughter,  Bessie,  unmarried. 
On  Saturday,  the  31st  day  of  December,  1887,  after  hold 
ing  a  special  session  of  the  Burlington  County  Courts,  he 
went  to  Philadelphia,  and  feeling  unwell  he  called  at  the 
house  of  a  friend,  where,  in  a  few  minutes,  he  received  a 
stroke  of  paralysis.  He  died  on  the  following  Monday, 
shortly  after  midnight,  surrounded  by  the  immediate 
members  of  his  family.  He  rallied  sufficiently  on  Satur 
day  evening  to  recognize  his  wife,  but  afterward  never 
regained  consciousness. 

PERSONAL  APPEARANCE  AND  GENERAL  CHARACTERISTICS. 

His  personal  appearance  was  imposing.  He  was  slightly 
over  six  feet  high,  with  a  massive  frame  admirably  pro 
portioned,  a  head  well  poised,  manly  and  dignified  in  his 
bearing,  easy  and  attractive  in  his  manner ;  in  public  free 
and  self-possessed,  easily  approached  by  the  humblest 
member  of  the  community,  but  never  condescending  to 
unseemly  familiarity.  He  was  persistent  in  the  pursuit 
of  the  object  in  which  he  was  interested,  and  in  support 
of  the  cause  which  he  had  espoused  ;  never  domineering, 
but  persuasive  and  conciliating  ;  avoiding  personal  antag 
onisms  he  skilfully  laid  his  course  between  contending 
factions  and  reached  the  goal  while  others  were  wrangling- 
by  the  way.  Conservative  in  all  his  views  and  sometimes, 
considered  so  almost  to  a  fault,  he  was  always  a  safe  lead 
er  in  public  affairs  and  reliable  as  a  personal  adviser. 


Joel  Parker  was,  beyond  dispute,  the  foremost  man  of 
his  generation  in  his  town  and  county,  and  in  his  State, 
in  all  those  qualities  that  go  to  make  a  man  useful  to  and 
beloved  by  his  fellow-men.  He  enjoyed,  as  no  other  man 
of  his  day,  the  entire  confidence  of  the  people  at  large, 
without  respect  to  party  lines.  In  his  public  life,  and  in 
the  administration  of  public  affairs,  he  fully  justified  this 
regard,  and  no  act  of  his  can  be  adduced  that  is  not  in 


38  MEMORIAL    OF 

entire  harmony  with  his  professions  of  public  duty.  In 
his  private  life  he  was  pure  and  above  reproach.  He  had 
the  imperfections  common  to  humanity,  but  none  that 
lessened  him  in  the  estimation  of  honorable  men.  lie 
was  industrious  in  his  private  calling,  and  in  the  dis 
charge  of  his  public  duties.  He  labored  hard  during  the 
whole  of  his  long  life,  rising  early  and  sitting  up  late. 
Few  men  of  his  day,  professional  or  other,  worked  more 
hours  or  endured  more  fatigue  than  he,  and  to  this  fact, 
as  much  as  to  the  qualities  of  his  head  and  heart,  is  his 
success  in  life  to  be  largely  attributed.  He  was  not 
wealthy,  but  lie  always  gave  liberally  according  to  his 
means  to  public  enterprises  and  public  and  private  chari 
ties.  Of  a  sympathetic  nature,  his  heart  and  his  purse 
were  ever  open  to  relieve  the  distresses  of  the  deserving 
poor,  and  it  may  truly  be  said  of  him  that  he  never  turned 
any  empty  away.  He  filled  a  large  place  in  the  affections 
of  the  people,  who  recognized  him  as  their  friend,  and  in 
the  affairs  of  the  public,  and  in  this  regard  he  will  have 
no  successor  in  this  generation.  He  had  fully  rounded 
out  his  life,  and  the  messenger  of  death  found  him  at  his 
post,  at  work  almost  to  the  last  moment  of  his  existence. 
He  was  not  a  brilliant  man,  as  the  world  reckons  it,  but 
he  was  a  great  man,  broad,  liberal,  conscientious,  faithful 
and  true,  and  so  he  will  be  rated  on  the  pages  of  history 
in  the  generations  to  come. 

"  STRONG,  'mid  the  perils  that  beset  his  time, 
STRONG,  in  the  chair  of  State  he  honored  long, 
STRONG,  in  devotion  to  his  home  and  friends, 
Wherever  fortune  found  or  placed  him,  STRONG. 

"  KIND,  with  a  kindness  words  cannot  express, 
KIND,  with  a  sweetness  born  of  noble  mind, 
KIND,  let  the  tear-drop  pathos  started,  speak  ; 
To  youth  and  age,  to  poor  and  sorrowing,  KIND. 

"  GREAT,  in  the  virtues  that  adorned  his  life, 
GREAT,  in  the  annals  of  his  native  State, 
GREAT,  in  his  fearless  championship  of  right, 
In  every  trust  and  station,  truly  GREAT."  * 

*  Frank  P.  McDermott,  Freehold,  in  the  Monmouth  Democrat,  Jan.  12, 1888. 


JOEL  PARKER.  39 

When  he  died  his  fellow  citizens  throughout  the  State 
— all  ranks  and  conditions  of  men — alike  pressed  forward 
to  lay  their  tribute  of  affection  and  regard  upon  his  bier. 
The  Governor  issued  a  proclamation  reciting  the  eminent 
services  he  had  rendered  the  State,  and  caused  public 
honors  to  be  paid  to  his  memory ;  the  business  of  the 
courts  was  suspended  while  eulogies  were  pronounced 
and  resolutions  of  respect  and  condolence  were  placed 
upon  their  records  ;  organizations,  public  and  social,  vied 
with  each  other  in  manifestations  of  friendship  and  es 
teem,  and  the  press  united  in  one  common  expression  of 
high  appreciation  of  his  life  and  public  services. 

And  so  we  committed  his  body  to  the  dust,  and  com 
mended  his  soul  to  God  who  srave  it. 

O 


ADDENDA. 


Since  the  publication  of  the  foregoing*  sketch  attention 
lias  been  called  to  the  address  delivered  by  Governor  Par 
ker  on  the  6th  of  March,  1873,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
presentation  to  the  State  of  the  old  Battle  Flags  of  the 
^N"ew  Jersey  Regiments.  It  is  here  presented,  copied  from 
the  report  in  the  Trenton  True  American  of  the  day  follow 
ing  its  delivery,  to  further  illustrate  the  views  sustained 
by  him  on  the  questions  involved  in  the  war  : 

SPEECH  ON  THE  PRESENTATION  OF  THE  OLD  BATTLE-FLAGS. 

Veterans  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic : — The  eloquent  orator*  who 
has  just  addressed  you  related  the  circumstances  under  which  these 
flags  were  sent  to  this  State,  and  it  may  be  well  to  further  notice  the 
fact. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  I  had  the  honor  to  occupy  the  Executive 
Chair  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  hearing  that  these  flags,  which 
had  been  borne  through  so  many  hard-fought  battles,  were  about 
being  put  in  charge  of  the  United  States  authorities,  and  thinking  that 
they  might  be  deposited  at  the  Capitol,  where  few  Jerseymen  would 
have  opportunity  to  see  them,  I  thought  it  proper  to  request  that  these 
New  Jersey  memorials  of  the  battle  fields  might  be  given  into  the  cus 
tody  of  the  State.  This  request,  so  reasonable,  was  readily  complied 
with,  and  the  flags,  with  others,  were  placed  in  the  charge  of  the  Quar 
termaster  General  of  the  State.  About  two  years  since  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  passed  a  resolution  requiring  that  they  should  be  kept  in 
the  State  Capitol;  but  since  that  time,  in  consequence  of  the  unsettled 
condition  of  the  building,  there  has  been  no  suitable  place  to  keep 
them.  A  room  has  now,  however,  been  prepared,  in  which  they  will 
in  future  be  kept. 

I  receive  from  you  these  colors,  and,  in  conformity  with  the  ex 
pressed  wish  of  the  Legislature,  will  deposit  them  in  the  Capitol, 
there  to  remain  in  the  custody  of  the  State. 

In  looking  upon  these  torn  and  discolored  flags,  the  question  natu 
rally  arises,  why  are  they  deemed  so  precious?  Why  have  they  been 
made  the  subject  of  official  correspondence  between  the  National  and 

*  John  Y.  Foster,  Esq.,  of  Newark. 


42  MEMORIAL    OF 

State  governments  ?  Why  has  their  preservation  been  provided  for 
by  legislative  action  ?  Why  have  they  been  brought  here  to-day  in 
the  hands  of  veterans  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  in  the  pres 
ence  of  a  vast  concourse  of  citizens,  and  accompanied  by  a  grand  mili 
tary  escort  ?  Is  it  because  the  material  of  which  they  are  made  is  rare 
and  costly  ?  The  bullet  scarred  staffs  and  stained  shreds  of  silk,  in 
themselves  of  little  intrinsic  worth,  are  all  that  remain.  Is  it  because 
of  any  practical  use  to  which  they  might  hereafter  be  put  in  active 
service  ?  They  are  so  frail  that  if  unfolded  the  gentlest  breeze  would 
scatter  their  fragments.  What  then  gives  them  a  priceless  value  ?  It 
is  because  of  the  memories  and  associations  that  cluster  around  them. 
To  you,  soldiers  of  the  late  war,  they  recall  the  scenes  through  which 
you  passed.  They  remind  you  of  the  time,  when  in  their  brightness 
and  beauty,  you  received  them  from  the  State,  and  of  the  vows  you 
then  solemnly  made  to  guard  and  protect  them,  and  to  bring  them 
back,  not  in  dishonor,  but  with  victory  emblazoned  on  every  fold. 
Through  years  of  varied  fortune  they  were  your  constant  companions. 
To-day  they  speak  to  you  of  the  joys  and  friendships  of  camp  life,  of 
the  wearisome  march,  the  shock  of  battle,  the  charge  and  the  deadly 
assault.  Where  danger  most  threatened  you  advanced  your  stand 
ards  and  bore  them  proudly  aloft ;  where  shot  and  shell  fell  thickest, 
you  rallied  around  them  ;  they  guided  you  over  the  field  of  carnage, 
and  on  them  the  eyes  of  your  fallen  comrades  instinctively  turned 
their  dying  gaze  as  you  hurried  past.  Who  can  wonder,  then,  that  to 
you  these  flags  are  of  peculiar  interest  ?  But  chiefly  are  they  precious 
to  you,  and  to  all  of  us,  because  they  are  the  emblems  of  our  nation 
ality — the  symbols  of  governmental  power.  Mute  though  they  be, 
they  speak  to  us  in  language  more  forcible  than  human  utterance. 
Each  rent  and  shred  of  these  tattered  banners  has  a  voice  which  to 
day  says  to  us,  and  to  all  men,  "  although  it  cost  privation  and  suffer 
ing,  exposure  and  even  death  itself,  come  what  may,  this  government 
must  be  maintained  in  its  integrity,  whether  its  assailants  come  from 
without  or  within  ;  though  millions  of  lives  and  billions  of  treasure  be 
the  sacrifice,  the  Union  shall  be  preserved." 

Soldiers  of  New  Jersey,  your  deeds  of  noble  daring  are  still  fresh  in 
memory.  These  banners  borne  by  you,  who  here  represent  the  rem 
nant  of  the  eighty  thousand  men  whom  New  Jersey  sent  to  the  field, 
testify  that  you,  and  such  as  you,  in  the  hour  of  the  country's  peril, 
left  the  endearments  and  comforts  of  home  and  bared  your  bosoms  to 
the  storm  of  battle,  that  our  free  institutions  might  be  maintained  and 
the  nation  might  live. 

In  the  name  of  the  people,  I  thank  you,  and,  through  you,  your 
absent  comrades,  for  the  imperishable  honor  reflected  on  the  State  by 
your  patriotism  and  valor  in  that  dark  hour. 

In  closing  these  interesting  ceremonies  we  must  not  forget  those 
who,  with  high  hope  and  patriotic  impulse,  went  forth  with  you  but 


JOEL  PARKER.  43 

did  not  return  ;  those  who  for  a  time  with  you  followed  these  flags, 
bat  fell  by  your  side,  sacrificing  their  lives  for  their  country.  A 
grateful  people  will  ever  cherish  their  memory. 

In  the  name  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  I  now  take  these  memorials 
of  valiant  deeds,  and  will  deposit  them  in  the  place  set  apart  for  their 
reception,  where,  in  accordance  with  the  resolutions  of  the  Legisla 
ture,  they  will  be  tenderly  cared  for,  and  where  they  will  remain  the 
objects  of  gratitude  and  reverence  of  future  generations. 


It  should  have  been  mentioned  in  the  biography  of  Governor  Par 
ker  that  the  Honorary  degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws  was  conferred  on 
him  by  the  Trustees  of  Rutgers  College,  June  18,  1872. 


MORTUARY 


MORTUARY. 


DEATH    OF    JOEL    PARKER. 

Joel  Parker,  Associate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court 
and  ex-Governor  of  New  Jersey,  died  at  Philadelphia  on 
Monday  morning,  January  2,  1888.  On  the  previous 
Saturday  he  held  a  special  session  of  the  Burlington 
County  Courts,  and  after  dinner  went  to  Camden,  and 
thence,  after  transacting  some  business,  to  Philadelphia. 
At  4.30  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  while  calling  at  the  resi 
dence  of  a  friend,  Mrs.  Cecilia  Root,  1019  Mount  Yernon 
street,  he  was  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  Dr.  E.  C.  Bailey 
was  called  in.  He  found  that  the  Governor  was  suffering 
from  an  attack  of  paralysis.  He  was  very  anxious  to  re 
turn  to  his  home,  but  the  attending  physician  found  that 
it  was  impossible.  The  family  were  immediately  sum 
moned  from  Burlington,  where  they  were  residing  for  the 
winter,  and  Mrs.  Parker  and  his  niece,  Miss  Redmond, 
reached  his  bedside  about  11  o'clock  the  same  evening. 
He  rallied  sufficiently  to  recognize  Mrs.  Parker,  but  failed 
to  recognize  Miss  Redmond,  and  soon  relapsed  into  un 
consciousness.  Doctors  D.  Hayes  Agnew  and  James  R. 
Tyson  were  called  in  as  consulting  physicians,  but  they 
quickly  decided  that  there  were  no  hopes  of  his  recovery. 
His  sons,  Charles  and  Frederick,  reached  the  city  during 
Sunday,  and  they,  with  their  mother,  were  at  his  bedside 
when  he  died,  which  was  at  about  12.30  o'clock,  A.  M., 
on  Monday.  He  never  regained  consciousness  after 
recognizing  Mrs.  Parker. 

MEETING    OF    THE    CITIZENS     OF    FREEHOLD. 

Pursuant  to  invitation  of  Mayor  Forman,  the  citizens 
of  Freehold  assembled  at  the  Court  House,  at  8  o'clock 


48  MEMORIAL   OF 

on  Monday  evening,  January  2,  to  take  action  upon  the 
death  of  their  fellow  townsman,  ex-Governor  Parker. 

Major  Yard  called  the  meeting  to  order  and  nominated 
Mayor  Forman  for  Chairman,  who  was  unanimously 
elected,  and  Major  Yard  was  in  like  manner  elected 
Secretary. 

Upon  taking  the  chair  Mayor  Forman  formally  an 
nounced  the  death  of  ex-Governor  Parker,  and  stated  that 
considering  his  eminent  public  services,  which  reflected 
honor  upon  his  town,  he  had  deemed  it  proper  to  call  the 
citizens  together  to  counsel  upon  the  matter  and  to  take 
such  measures  as  they  might  deem  proper. 

Frank  P.  McDermott,  Esq.,  stated  that  he  had  learned 
from  a  member  of  the  family  that  the  funeral  would  take 
place  on  Friday. 

Major  Yard  moved  that  a  committee  of  three  be  ap 
pointed  to  draft  resolutions  expressive  of  the  sentiments 
of  our  people  on  this  occasion,  and  report  the  same  at  an 
adjourned  meeting,  to  be  held  on  Wednesday  evening. 
The  motion  was  adopted  and  Messrs.  II.  "W.  Murphy,  F. 
P.  McDermott  and  John  B.  Con  over,  were  appoint 
ed.  Subsequently,  on  motion  of  Surrogate  Crater, 
Major  James  S.  Yard  and  Judge  Charles  A.  Bennett 
were  added  to  the  committee. 

On  motion,  it  was  resolved  that  the  chairman  appoint 
a  committee  of  twenty-live  citizens  as  a  committee  of 
arrangements,  of  which  he  shall  be  chairman,  to  co-oper 
ate  with  the  family  and  the  State  authorities  in  regard  to 
the  funeral  ceremonies,  and  also  to  take  charge  of  the 
remains  upon  their  arrival  on  Wednesday  evening,  and 
escort  them  to  the  residence  of  the  family. 

Major  Yard  made  brief  remarks  touching  the  life,  char 
acter  and  public  services  of  ex-Governor  Parker,  with 
especial  reference  to  his  relations  to  the  town  and  county. 

Lieutenant  J.  W.  Hulse,  speaking  as  Chief  of  the  Fire 
Department  and  as  an  officer  of  the  military  company, 
said  both  organizations  would  be  glad  to  co-operate  with 


JOEL  PARKER.  49 

the  citizens  in  doing  honor  to  the  memory  of  our  late 
distinguished  fellow-citizen. 

Hon.  "William  S.  Throckmorton  delivered  a  short  but 
feeling  and  appreciative  address,  referring  especially  to 
the  character  of  Gov.  Parker  in  his  social  relations  to  our 
citizens,  and  said  that  all  men  who  knew  him  desired  to 
do  him  honor.  In  conclusion  he  moved  that  this  meeting 
request  that  all  business  places  in  the  town  be  closed  dur 
ing  the  time  of  the  funeral  obsequies. 

Mr.  D.  C.  Perrine  concurred  in  the  motion  of  Mr. 
Throckmorton. 

Mr.  J.  T.  Burtis  said  that  it  would  also  be  proper  to 
request  our  citizens  to  display  emblems  of  mourning  upon 
their  residences  and  places  of  business,  from  this  time 
until  after  the  funeral.  This  amendment  was  accepted 
by  Mr.  Throckmorton,  and  then  the  motion  as  amended 
was  adopted. 

On  motion  of  Charles  II.  Butcher,  Esq.,  the  meeting 
then  adjourned. 

Mayor  Forman  subsequently  announced  the  following 
as  the  Committee  of  Arrangements  : 

W.  H.  FORMAN,  Chairman, 

A.  WALKER,  Dr.  I.  S.  LONG,  D.  S.  CRATER, 

J.  T.  BURTIS,  A.  C.  HART,  MAXCY  APPLEGATE, 

W.  B.  DURYEE,  C.  H.  BUTCHER,  T.  W.  MORRIS, 

D.  C.  PERRINE,  A.  WHITE,  J.  M.  AYRES, 

D.  D.  DENISE,  E.  T.  HARTSHORNE,  W.S.  THROCKMORTON, 

JOHN  ENRIGHT,  CHARLES  HAIGHT,  J.  B.  HAVILAND, 

S.  C.  Cow  ART,  Jos.  T.  LAIRD,  JOHN  W.  HULSE, 

JOHN  BAWDEN,  WM.  LLOYD,  C.  HARTZHEIM, 

A.  A.  YARD,  THEO.  SICKLES,  G.  C.  HULETT. 

The  committee  met  at  Firemen's  Hall  at  8  o'clock  on 
Tuesday  evening,  appointed  several  sub-committees  and 
perfected  their  arrangements  for  the  funeral  ceremonies. 

On  Wednesday  evening  the  committee  again  met  at 
Firemen's  Hall.  In  the  absence  of  Mayor  Forman,  Wm. 
II.  Vredenburgh,  Esq.,  presided,  and  after  a  short  session 


50  MEMORIAL  OF 

the  committee  proceeded  in  a  body  to  the  depot  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Railroad,  where  they  received  the  remains 
and  escorted  them  to  the  family  residence.  A  large  con 
course  of  citizens  had  also  assembled  and  accompanied 
the  committee  in  solemn  procession. 

In  order  to  reserve  the  hours  on  Friday  morning  before 
the  funeral  for  persons  from  a  distance,  the  people  of 
Freehold  and  vicinity,  by  invitation  published  in  the 
newspapers,  paid  their  respects  to  the  remains  of  their 
fellow  townsman  on  Thursday  afternoon,  between  the 
hours  of  1  and  5  P.  M. 

In  compliance  with  the  request  of  the  Committee  of 
Arrangements  the  business  places  and  the  residences 
of  the  citizens  of  the  town  very  generally  displayed 
emblems  of  mourning  ;  some  of  them  were  quite 
elaborate,  and  most  of  them  showed  artistic  taste  and 
skill.  Firemen's  Hall,  the  Court  House,  the  printing 
offices,  and  a  number  of  business  places  displayed  flags  at 
half-mast  as  soon  as  the  news  of  Judge  Parker's  death 
was  verified,  and  until  after  the  funeral.  The  Court 
House,  by  direction  of  the  committee  of  the  Board  of 
Chosen  Freeholders,  was  very  handsomely  draped,  the 
large  columns  in  front  being  covered  smooth  with  black 
muslin,  and  festoons  of  the  same  material  were  hung 
from  the  cornices  across  the  front  of  the  building  and 
the  porch,  and  from  the  window  caps. 

THE    FUNERAL    SOLEMNITIES. 

The  casket  was  covered  with  black  broadcloth,  and  was 
lined  with  white  corded  silk ;  the  handles  were  of  oxyd- 
ized  silver.  Everything  was  plain  and  unostentatious. 
At  the  head  was  a  cross  of  wdiite  roses,  immortelles,  ivy, 
smilax  and  exotic  grasses,  presented  by  the  Joel  Parker 
Association ;  at  the  foot  was  a  wreath  of  white  roses, 
smilax  and  immortelles,  the  gift  of  Senators  McPherson 
and  Blodgett,  and  Congressmen  McAdoo  and  Pidcock. 

On  the  silver  plate  wrere  engraved  the  words  :  "  Joel 
Parker  :  Nov.  24,  1816,  Jan.  2,  1888." 


JOEL  PARKER.  51 

Surrounding  the  plate  was  a  wreath  of  English  ivy,  the 
gift  of  the  Pennsylvania  Commanclery  of  the  Military 
Order  of  the  Loyal  Legion  of  the  United  States.  As  he 
lay  in  the  casket  he  looked  as  natural  as  if  he  had  just 
fallen  into  a  gentle  sleep,  from  which  he  might  awake  at 
any  moment. 

Contrary  to  the  indications  of  the  day  before,  Friday 
morning  opened  cold  and  cloudy,  with  a  drizzling  rain 
later  in  the  forenoon.  At  an  early  hour  people  from  the 
neighborhood  began  to  come  in  carriages,  and  the  early 
trains  from  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  came  filled. 
At  9  o'clock  the  doors  of  the  mansion  were  opened  and 
the  crowds  assembled  passed  in,  in  file,  to  view  the  re 
mains.  Each  arriving  train  brought  additional  crowds  to 
take  a  last  farewell  of  the  dead  Governor.  The  great 
majority  in  attendance  were  personal  friends  and  acquaint 
ances,  endeared  to  him  by  many  loving  ties  and  recollec 
tions.  Count  was  kept  until  over  a  thousand  persons 
had  passed  in,  but  many  were  unable  to  gain  admission  by 
reason  of  the  crowd  and  the  lateness  of  the  hour. 

About  10  o'clock  Governor  Green  and  staff  and  the 
State  officials  arrived  and  went  to  their  quarters  at  the 
American  Hotel,  after  which  they  proceeded  in  a  body  to 
Governor  Parker's  residence,  where  they  remained. 
Shortly  after,  the  Joel  Parker  Association,  of  Newark, 
(seventy-five  members),  accompanied  by  Voss'  Band  and 
a  number  of  citizens  of  Newark,  arrived  in  a  special  train 
and  went  directly  to  the  residence.  About  10.30  o'clock 
the  Bench  and  Bar  Association  and  the  county  officials  of 
the  Second  Judicial  District,  (Burlington,  Gloucester  and 
Camden),  over  which  Judge  Parker  presided,  arrived, 
also  in  a  special  train.  Members  of  the  Bar  were  also 
present  from  several  other  counties. 

Shortly  before  11  o'clock  the  doors  were  closed  and 
after  prayer  by  Rev.  Samuel  M.  Hamill,  D.D.,  the 
funeral  procession  was  formed  under  the  direction  of 


52  MEMORIAL    OF 

Major  James  S.  Yard,  appointed  hy  the  Committee  of 
Arrangements  for  that  purpose,  assisted  by  Theo.  W. 
Morris,  Esq.,  Lieut.  John  "W.  Ilulse  and  Maj.  A.  A.  Yard, 
and  the  members  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements,  in 
the  following  order  : 

ORDER    OF    THE    FUNERAL     PROCESSION. 

Sexton  and  Undertaker. 

The  Clergy. 

Physicians. 

County  Officials. 

Town  Officials. 

The  Citizens  Committee. 

The  Monmouth  Bar  Association. 

Representatives  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  of  New  Jersey. 

Representatives  of  J.  "W.  Conover  Post,  G.  A.  R. 

Olive  Branch  Lodge  No.  16,  F.  &  A.  M. 

Monmouth  Lodge  No.  20,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

Officers  of  Co.  E.,  7th  Regiment  N.  G.  of  N.  J. 

Freehold  Fire  Department. 
The  Joel  Parker  Association  of  Newark. 

Pall  Bearers.  |  K  |  Pall  Bearers 

Ex-Chancellor  Kunyon,*  I  if  I  Chancellor  McGill,* 

Justice  Depue,  1  =  1  Justice  Dixon, 

Justice  Knapp,  1-1  Justice  Reed, 

Justice  Scudder,  I  £  I  Justice  Yansyckel, 

The  Family  and  Relatives. 
The  Governor  and  Staff. 

Ex-Governors. 

Major  General  Plume  and  Staff. 

Brigadier  General  Steele  and  Staff. 

Brigadier  General  Sewell  and  Staff. 

The  Chancellors,  ex-Chancellors,  and  Vice-Chancellors. 

Judges  of  the  Court  of  Errors  and  Appeals. 

State  Officials  and  Members  of  State  Boards. 

LT.  S.  Senators  and  Members  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Ex-Attorneys  General. 

Members  and  ex-Members  and  Officers  of  the  Senate  and  Assembly, 

Members  of  the  Faculties  of  Princeton  and  Rutgers  Colleges. 

County  Officials  and  Bar  of  the  Second  Judicial  District. 

Citizens  and  Visitors. 

*  In  place  of  Chief  Justice  Beasley  and  Justice  Magie,  who  were  prevented  by 
indisposition  from  being  present. 


JOEL  PARKER.  53 

The  casket  was  borne  by  eight  colored  men. 

There  was  some  delay,  occasioned  by  the  great  crowd 
of  people  who  desired  to  look  for  the  last  time  upon  the 
face  of  the  friend  they  had  known  so  long  and  loved  so 
well,  and  also  by  the  non-arrival  of  some  of  the  organiza 
tions  from  a  distance.  The  town-clock  was  striking  11 
when  the  funeral  procession  started,  and  the  head  of  it 
had  reached  the  church  before  all  were  in  line.  In  fact, 
a  double  line — one  in  the  street  and  another  on  the  side 
walk — almost  covered  the  distance  between  the  dwelling 
and  the  church,  and  it  was  11.20  when  the  doors  were 
opened  and  the  head  of  the  escort  marched  up  the  centre 
aisle.  Here  the  arrangements  were  complete,  and  under 
the  direction  of  the  ushers  appointed  by  the  committee 
of  citizens,  the  great  throng  was  rapidly  and  quietly  con 
ducted  to  the  places  assigned  to  the  several  organizations, 
and  seated.  While  this  was  being  done,  the  organist, 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Conover,  played  a  voluntary  on  the  organ. 
The  ushers  were  S.  C.  Cowart,  (chairman),  John  B.  Con- 
over,  F.  B.  Conover,  F.  P.  McDermott,  W.  S.  Throck- 
morton,  C.  H.  Butcher,  W.  E.  Truex,  C.  P.  Pitman,  Jos. 
A.  Yard,  H.  A.  A^heeler,  D.  Van  Perrine,  W.  C.  Harts- 
horne,  G.  D.  Carson. 

FUNERAL  SERVICES  AT  THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

Organ  Voluntary — 

Marcia   Funebre-^  §£$£ta  g±>^,, 
Scripture  Reading  ly  Rev.  Henry  G.  Smith. 

But  I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant,  brethren, 
concerning  them  which  are  asleep,  that  ye  sorrow  not, 
even  as  others  which  have  no  hope. 

For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and  rose  again,  even 
so  them  also  which  sleep  in  Jesus  will  God  bring  with  him. 

I  am  the  Resurrection,  and  the  Life,  saith  the  Lord: 
he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall 
he  live :  and  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth  in  me  shall 
never  die. 


54  MEMORIAL    OF 

For  we  brought  nothing  into  this  world,  and  it  is  cer 
tain  that  we  can  carry  nothing  out. 

The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away ;  Bless 
ed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  God  and  the  Father 
is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their  afflic 
tion,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world. 

For  we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment-seat  of 
Christ ;  that  every  one  may  receive  the  things  done  in 
his  body,  according  to  that  he  hath  done,  whether  it  be 
good  or  bad. 

And  I  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me, 
Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from 
henceforth  :  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest 
from  their  labors;  and  their  works  do  follow  them. 

Anthem: — "Rock  of  Ages ."     Music  by  Dudley  Buck. 

Scripture  Reading  Continued. 

But  of  the  times  and  the  seasons,  brethren,  ye  have  no 
need  that  I  write  unto  you. 

For  yourselves  know  perfectly  that  the  day  of  the  Lord 
so  cometh  as  a  thief  in  the  night. 

For  when  they  shall  say,  Peace  and  safety ;  then  sud 
den  destruction  cometh  upon  them,  as  travail  upon  a 
woman  with  child  ;  and  they  shall  not  escape. 

But  ye,  brethren,  are  not  in  darkness,  that  that  day 
should  overtake  you  as  a  thief. 

Ye  are  all  the  children  of  light,  and  the  children  of  the 
day  :  we  are  not  of  the  night,  nor  of  darkness. 

Therefore  let  us  not  sleep,  as  do  others ;  but  let  us 
watch  and  be  sober. 

For  they  that  sleep,  sleep  in  the  night ;  and  they  that 
be  drunken,  are  drunken  in  the  night. 

But  let  us,  who  are  of  the  day,  be  sober,  putting  on  the 
breast-plate  of  faith  and  love  ;  and  for  a  helmet,  the  hope 
of  salvation. 


JOEL  PARKER.  55 

For  God  hath  not  appointed  us  to  wrath,  but  to  obtain 
salvation  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 

Who  died  for  us,  that  whether  we  wake  or  sleep,  we 
should  live  together  with  Him. 

Wherefore  comfort  yourselves  together,  and  edify  one 
another,  even  as  also  ye  do. 

Prayer  by  the  llec.  Edward  B.  Hodye. 

0  God,  thou  art  our  refuge  and  strength,  a  very  pres 
ent  help  in  trouble.  We  all  do  fade  as  a  leaf,  and  our 
iniquities  like  the  wind  have  taken  us  away.  Thou  alone 
art  great.  With  Thee  is  no  variableness,  neither  shadow 
of  turning.  From  everlasting  to  everlasting  Thou  art 
God.  Therefore  are  we  come  to  put  our  trust  under  the 
covert  of  Thy  wings.  0  Lord,  rebuke  us  not  in  Thine 
anger,  neither  chasten  us  in  Thy  hot  displeasure.  Have 
mercy  upon  us,  for  we  are  weak.  We  are  passing  through 
the  waters  ;  be  Thou  with  us.  We  are  going  through 
the  rivers ;  let  them  not  overflow  us.  We  are  walking 
through  the  fire  ;  let  us  not  be  burned;  neither  let  the 
flame  kindle  upon  us. 

Oh,  help,  Lord,  for  the  godly  man  ceaseth ;  for  the 
faithful  fail  from  among  the  children  of  men.  Be  Thou 
always  with  us ;  a  husband  to  the  widow  and  a  father  to 
the  fatherless.  Like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so 
pity  Thou  us.  Spare  us,  good  Lord  ;  spare  Thy  people 
whom  Thou  hast  redeemed  with  precious  blood. 

O  merciful  and  faithful  High  Priest,  holy,  harmless  and 
undefiled,  separate  from  sinners,  made  higher  than  the 
heavens,  Thou  who  wast,  in  the  days  of  Thy  flesh  on 
earth,  compassed  with  infirmities,  have  mercy  upon  us. 
We  crave  Thy  sympathy ;  we  cast  ourselves  upon  Thy 
care.  We  know  that  those  that  loved  Thee  here  on  earth 
are  now,  when  absent  from  the  body,  present  with  Thee 
in  heaven.  But  oh,  how  far  away !  Hasten  Thine  ap 
pearing.  Remember  Thy  promise;  and,  when  Thou 


56  MEMORIAL    OF 

comest,  bring   with  Thee   those  that    are  now  asleep  in 
Thee. 

0  God  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Comforter,  look  down  from 
heaven  in  mercy  and  pity,  and  dispel  the  darkness  of  our 
distress ;  endow  ns  plentifully  with  Thy  celestial  gifts. 
Grant  us  submission  to  Thy  holy  will,  and  entire  acquies 
cence  in  Thy  decree.  Give  us  patience  to  bear  our  trial, 
wisdom  to  learn  its  lessons,  grace  to  derive  profit,  cour 
age  to  enter  upon  the  difficulties  of  our  changed  situation, 
and  strength  to  undertake  and  to  bear  all  that  is  for  us 
to  do  in  our  present  circumstances.  Grant  us  Thyself, 
that  we  may  never  be  lonely.  May  we  walk  with  God  ; 
and  thus,  through  Thy  instrumentality,  may  our  fellow 
ship  be  with  the  Father  and  with  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ. 

With  these  our  prayers,  which  we  offer  for  ourselves, 
we  add  our  humble  thanksgiving  for  the  life  of  Thy  ser 
vant  now  taken  to  dwell  with  Thee.  This  man,  0  God, 
has  filled  many  posts  of  honor  and  trust  among  us ;  he 
has  maintained  his  integrity  to  the  end  ;  and  we  are  come 
to  lay  the  tribute  of  praise  at  Thy  feet.  To  Thy  watchful 
providence,  to  Thy  grace,  directing  and  assisting  him,  he 
owes  this  peaceful  and  honored  ending  of  an  illustrious 
career.  Thou  wast  with  him  in  the  day  of  trial  and 
temptation.  The  virtues  that  crowned  his  character  were 
Thy  gifts ;  his  wisdom  and  his  learning  were  from  Thee. 
Justice  and  judgment  he  learned  at  Thy  feet. 

0  merciful  God,  ever  grant  unto  our  country,  we  be 
seech  Thee,  rulers  that  fear  Thy  name ;  who  shall  make 
the  laws  under  Thy  guidance  and  conduct  the  execution 
thereof  to  Thy  glory.  In  all  times  of  danger  and  anxiety, 
Ave  will  not  trust  in  horses  nor  in  chariots,  but  we  will 
remember  Jehovah  our  God.  We  will  rejoice  in  Thy 
salvation,  and  in  the  name  of  our  God  we  will  set  up  our 
banners. 

With  Thy  favor  we  beseech  Thee  to  behold  and  bless 
Thy  servants,  the  President  of  the  United  States ;  the 
Governor  of  this  Commonwealth;  the  surviving  Judges 


.JOEL  PARKER.  57 

of  the  Supreme  Court ;  and  all  who  fill  offices  of  author 
ity  and  trust.  May  they  ever  walk  after  Thy  holy  com 
mandments  ;  ever  acknowledge  Thy  supreme  authority 
in  all  things,  and  decree  righteous  judgment.  So  shall 
we  Thy  people  he  evermore  giving  Thee  thanks.  We 
shall  be  happy  in  such  a  case.  We  shall  he  the  happy 
people  whose  God  is  Jehovah. 

And  now,  to  God  the  Father,  God  the  Son,  and  God 
the  Holy  Ghost,  be  ascribed,  as  is  most  justly  due,  all 
might  and  majesty,  dominion  and  power,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord  and  Redeemer.  Amen. 

Oration  by  Her.  Frank  Chandler,  D.D. 

One  might  well  dread  to  break  the  silence  ot  your 
thought  and  grief  to-day.  The  gathering  of  this  vast 
assembly  from  all  parts  of  the  State  and  from  all  ranks  of 
social  life,  your  tears  and  sorrow,  are  a  tribute  to  the 
worth  of  our  departed  friend  more  eloquent  than  any 
words  of  mine  can  be.  Yet  we  should  dishonor  ourselves, 
deprive  ourselves  of  a  mournful  solace,  and  somewhat 
limit  the  usefulness  of  a  valued  life,  did  we  not  gather 
around  this  coffin  and  give  some .  utterance  to  the  senti 
ments  which  move  all  our  hearts. 

Joel  Parker  was  born  of  noble  ancestry,  upon  his  fath 
er's  farm,  near  Freehold,  in  the  year  1816.  He  had  the 
advantages  of  an  early  education.  He  graduated  from 
Princeton  College  with  the  class  of  1839,  studied  law  at 
Trenton  in  the  office  of  Hon.  II.  W.  Green,  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  1842,  and  settled  in  Freehold.  He  married 
Miss  Gummere,  of  Burlington,  in  1843,  and  here  we  may 
reverently  quote  the  \vords  of  King  Lemuel,  "The  proph 
ecy  that  his  mother  taught  him  :  The  heart  of  her  hus 
band  did  safely  trust  in  her,  so  that  he  had  no  need  of 
spoil.  She  did  him  good  and  not  evil  all  the  days  of  his 
life."  He  was  sent  to  the  Assembly  in  1847,  the  young 
est  member  of  that  body  and  one  of  the  most  influential. 
He  was  made  Prosecutor  of  the*  Pleas  of  Monmouth 


58  MEMORIAL  OF 

county  ;  Brigadier  and  Major  General  of  the  State  Militia. 
He  was  twice  Governor  of  the  State,  elected  by  a  large 
majority  of  his  fellow-citizens.  He  was  Presidential 
Elector  and  twice  named  by  the  Electors  of  this  State,  as 
their  choice  for  the  Chief  Magistracy  of  the  United  States, 
an  office  which  those  who  knew  him  best,  believed  he 
would  have  honorably  filled.  He  was  appointed  Attor 
ney  General  of  the  State,  and  Associate  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  in  which  latter  office  of  dignity  and  trust 
he  honorably  discharged  his  duty  until  the  day  of  his 
death.  With  these  facts  of  his  life  you  are  all  familiar. 
They  are  published  widely  in  the  newspapers  and  will  be 
preserved  among  the  records  of  the  State. 

It  is  fitting,  on  this  occasion,  that  our  attention  should 
be  drawn  to  the  elements  of  his  character  and  the  inci 
dents  of  his  distinguished  career,  which  contain  the  lessons 
of  the  hour  for  our  instruction  and  comfort. 

Governor  Parker  was  a  man  physically  strong  and  of 
commanding  presence,  which  enabled  him  to  endure 
fatigue  and  to  impress  those  with  whom  he  came  in  con 
tact  as  one  in  some  respect  their  superior.  Yet  the  con 
descension  of  his  manner  and  the  kindness  of  his  heart 
made  approach  to  him  easy,  even  by  the  most  humble. 
If  he  ever  appeared  brusque  or  distant,  it  Avas  only  be 
cause  his  mind  in  active  life  was  greatly  pre-occupied  or 
because  the  inner  feeling  of  his  heart  failed  to  find  ex 
pression.  He  was  genial  and  kind  in  his  nature,  with  a 
pleasing  touch  of  gentle  humor,  and  a  story  of  human 
sorrow  always  found  its  way  straight  to  his  heart.  He 
had  the  simplicity  of  childhood.  There  was  a  frankness 
and  tenderness  of  spirit  with  him  which  was  a  most 
charming  characteristic  of  his  life.  He  loved  the  little 
ones.  As  he  sat  upon  the  front  piazza  of  his  residence  in 
the  summer  months  of  his  vacation  in  later  years,  he 
would  call  the  young  children  of  the  neighborhood  to 
him  and  engage  them  in  conversation.  Last  Fall  an  acci 
dent  befell  him,  on  his  returning  home  by  a  railroad  train, 


JOEL  PARKER.  59 

and  as  he  entered  his  house  lame  and  suffering,  his  little 
grand-daughter  followed  him  to  the  stairs  and  he  said 
caressingly,  "  It  would  have  been  a  bad  thing  for  Helen 
if  anything  serious  had  happened  to  grandfather."  It  is 
one  of  the  pleasing  memories  to  his  family  that  the  last 
Christmas  night  of  his  life  he  was  engaged,  in  the  home 
of  one  of  his  relatives,  with  the  dear  little  children  in 
their  innocent  amusement,  himself  the  greatest  child  of 
them  all,  delighting  them  and  himself  in  their  sports. 

He  was  a  man  distinguished  for  his  good  judgment. 
If  his  mind  seemed  to  work  slo\vly  at  times,  it  was  be 
cause  of  his  habit  to  become  possessed  of  all  the  facts  and 
circumstances,  and  give  them  due  consideration  before 
recording  an  opinion.  He  was  naturally  cautious,  con 
servative  and  modest,  but  when  he  had  deliberated  and 
formed  a  judgment,  it  was  in  most  cases  eminently  wise 
and  safe  to  follow  him.  This  peculiarity  made  him  a 
capable  lawyer,  a  good  Judge,  a  safe  adviser  in  public 
affairs  and  a  wise  and  beneficent  ruler.  He  made  haste 
slowly.  But  few  men  in  the  trying  positions  in  which  he 
was  placed  have  made  so  few  mistakes.  It  was  because 
of  his  excellent  judgment  and  probity  that  he  was  re 
sorted  to  by  individuals  and  the  public  in  times  of  the 
greatest  exigency. 

The  honorable  soubriquet  by  which  he  was  most  famil 
iarly  known  throughout  our  State,  "  Honest  Joel  Parker," 
shows  a  trait  of  his  character  which  at  once  gives  him  a 
noble  eminence  in  our  esteem.  In  all  the  private  rela 
tions  and  public  duties  of  life  the  breath  of  suspicion  has 
never  shadowed  his  name  with  any  thought  of  dishonor 
or  duplicity.  His  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond.  There 
are  those  before  me  to-day  who  know  what  mighty  temp 
tations  beset  a  man  in  public  life,  to  appear  to  wish  to  do 
one  thing  in  the  presence  of  one  party  or  clan,  and  quite 
another  thing  in  different  surroundings.  But  no  solicita 
tions  to  evil  could  ever  induce  our  friend  to  seek  his 
fortune  by  crooked  paths.  He  sacrificed  his  interests  for 


60  MEMORIAL   OF 

his  principles,  and  defended  and  maintained  his  principles 
consistently  to  the  end.  This  made  him  a  safe  man  at 
the  head  of  puhlic  affairs  in  our  State  during  the  war.  It 
nerved  his  arm  and  brain  to  devise  ways  and  means  to 
meet  every  requisition  of  the  general  Government,  to 
keep  peace  and  quietness  at  home  when  riot  and  blood 
shed  were  threatened,  and  to  provide  for  the  easy  and 
early  discharge  of  every  financial  obligation  incurred  by 
the  State. 

The  morning  after  his  election  to  be  Governor,  in  1861, 
I  gave  him  my  congratulations,  meeting  him  casually 
upon  the  street,  and  suggested  that  he  had  come  to  his 
place  01  power  in  troublesome  times.  A  tear  glistened  in 
his  eye,  and  with  deep  emotion  he  said  to  me,  "  In  the 
heat  of  this  campaign  I  never  thought  I  should  feel  as  I 
do  this  morning.  A  great  responsibility  presses  upon 
me,  but  by  God's  help,  I  mean  to  do  right."  This  pur 
pose  to  do  right,  combined  with  a  reverent  trust  in  God, 
was  the  secret  of  his  grand  success  as  a  War  Governor. 
He  meant  to  help  the  Government  he  had  given  his  oath 
to  sustain,  by  the  use  of  all  legitimate  means.  You  will 
remember  many  touching  and  powerful  incidents  illustra 
tive  of  the  strength  of  his  character  employed  in  main 
taining  the  rights  of  citizens,  coupled  with  an  honest  and 
zealous  determination  to  defend  the  honor  of  the  nation 
in  time  of  great  peril.  The  letter  which  he  directed  to 
the  Secretary  of  War,  when  making  demand  of  him  as 
an  executive  officer  for  a  prisoner  held  in  control  of  our 
courts  of  justice,  will  make  him  immortal,  as  it  should  do. 
He  was  not  afraid  of  all  the  powers  of  earth  and  hell  in  a 
question  in  which  he  had  the  responsibility  and  was  clear 
in  his  convictions  of  right. 

He  w^as  a  patriot.  His  grandfather  served  in  the  war 
of  the  Revolution,  and  if  our  lamented  Governor  was 
proud  of  anything — and  here  let  us  learn  a  lesson  for  our 
use  when  sneered  at  by  the  captious  and  the  foolish  and 
ignorant — if  Governor  Parker  was  proud  of  anything  it 


JOEL  PARKER.  61 

was  that  he  was  a  Jerseyman.  He  loved  and  honored 
the  place  of  his  nativity.  He  was  proud  of  the  history  of 
his  State  in  the  colonial  times  and  in  the  war  of  inde 
pendence  ;  of  its  honorable  band  of  heroes  and  statesmen  ; 
of  its  judiciary,  its  bright  and  imperishable  fame;  the  vir 
tue,  intelligence  and  thrift  of  its  citizens.  He  Avas  fond 

o 

of  research  in  matters  pertaining  to  local  history,  and 
dwelt  with  satisfaction  upon  every  evidence  of  suffering 
and  successful  toil,  and  of  sacrifices  for  the  public  good. 
He  gloried  in  our  institutions  and  did  everything  in  his 
power  to  protect  and  preserve  them.  One  illustration 
among  many  may  be  given,  which  has  become  familiar  to 
us  all  by  reason  of  his  persistency  and  determination  in 
carrying  forward  to  a  successful  accomplishment  that 
which  he  believed  to  be  right,  in  honor  of  our  ancestors. 
Ten  years  ago,  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  at  the  close  of 
the  exercises  of  the  Freehold  Institute,  he  arose,  craved  a 
moment's  indulgence,  and  eloquently  plead  with  the  vast 
assembly  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  State,  to  go  to 
their  homes  resolved  to  build  a  monument  to  perpetuate 
the  fame  of  our  Revolutionary  sires.  He  called  a  public 
meeting,  organized  an  association,  devised  a  plan  of  pro 
cedure,  solicited  subscriptions  from  his  personal  friends 
in  large  amounts ;  gave  money  himself,  and  labored  and 
thought  to  bring  about  this  worthy  object.  He  excited 
an  interest  in  the  matter  that  could  not  be  put  down.  He 
then  went  to  Trenton  and  by  wise  and  earnest  methods 
secured  a  large  appropriation  from  the  State,  and  thence 
to  Washington  and  enlisted  the  sympathy  of  Senators 
and  Congressmen,  and  after  seven  years  of  hard  labor,  he 
saw  the  work  gloriously  achieved.  Nothing  more  fitting 
could  be  done  now  than  to  place  upon  the  granite  base  of 
that  monument  this  inscription  :  "  Sine  Joel  Parker,  non 
fuisset :  Obit,  1888." 

He  was  a  man  of  great  industry.  His  successes  were 
won  by  hard  work.  In  the  study  and  among  men  and 
books ;  in  his  office  and  wherever  duty  called  him  he  wras 


62  MEMORIAL    OF 

a  toiler.  His  preceptor,  here  present,  told  me  that  more 
than  fifty  years  ago,  when  in  his  preparatory  course  for 
Princeton,  whoever  came  into  the  class-room  with  an 
imperfect  recitation  Joel  Parker  was  always  prepared. 
The  early  hours  of  the  morning  found  him  at  his  tasks, 
and  when  others  were  sleeping  he  was  giving  thought 
and  care  to  the  trusts  imposed  upon  him.  His  genius 
was  for  painstaking,  diligent,  honest  work,  and  it  reward 
ed  him  with  the  rich  fruits  of  industry,  the  respect  of  the 
community  and  the  emoluments  of  office. 

He  was  a  generous  patron  of  every  good  cause.  In 
everything  pertaining  to  the  best  interests  of  the  commu 
nity  in  which  he  lived,  he  gave  ungrudgingly  his  time 
and  means  and  influence.  He  assisted  in  bringing  the 
railroad  to  our  village.  He  aided  the  farmers  to  institute 
their  annual  fair.  He  favored  a  limited  corporation  for 
the  convenience  and  comfort  of  the  citizens  of  our  town. 
He  was  foremost  in  upholding  the  schools  which  have 
graced  and  blessed  our  town,  and  invested  large  sums  of 
money  for  their  re-establishment  when  disaster  fell  upon 
them.  After  carrying  through  with  determined  persist 
ency  the  endeavor  to  build  up  again  the  seminary  for 
young  ladies  in  our  town,  he  stated  in  public  that  he 
regarded  this  school  as  a  better  and  more  enduring  mon 
ument  to  the  honor  of  those  who  with  him  had  engaged 
in  the  work,  than  the  granite  shaft  to  the  memory  of  the 
heroes  who  fought  and  fell  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth. 
He  was  a  generous  giver  to  all  the  churches  and  all  their 
charities.  He  never  withheld  his  purse  and  his  best 
wishes  from  any  good  cause  properly  presented  to  his 
attention. 

And  here  we  touch  upon  some  of  the  most  tender  and 
precious  memories  concerning  our  departed  friend,  en 
shrined  within  our  hearts.  There  are  brotherhoods  here 
with  wide  connections,  and  military  associations,  and  vet 
eran  soldiers,  survivors  of  the  late  war,  the  Cincinnati, 
and  all  through  our  community  and  land  in  humble 


JOEL  PARKER.  63 

tomes,  and,  as  I  happen  to  know,  beyond  the  seas  in  other 
lands  those  who  have  loved  our  kind-hearted  friend,  and 
who  will  never  cease  to  cherish  his  memory,  for  his  coun 
sel,  his  genial  friendship,  his  official  assistance,  his  charity 
and  timely  aid  in  many  ways.  Never  shall  we  know  on 
earth  how  wide  is  the  influence  which  a  prospered  man 
in  exalted  station  may  exert,  if  only  his  heart  prompts 
him  to  kindly  deeds.  One  or  two  instances  of  Governor 
Parker's  kindly  offices  to  the  distressed  and  needy  may 
show  his  claim  to  gratitude. 

During  the  war  he  came  to  me  one  morning  early  and 
said :  "  There  are  two  young  men  in  the  army  sentenced 
to  be  shot  for  desertion.  Technically  those  youths  may 
be  deserters,  but  morally  they  are  not,  and  the  mother  of 
one  of  these  boys — for  he  was  only  a  boy — has  been  to 
see  me  and  wants  to  know  if  I  can  do  anything  to  save 
the  life  of  her  son."  This  young  man  had  been  wounded 
at  Fair  Oaks,  and  was  sent  to  the  hospital  at  Newark,  and 
after  partial  recovery  he  was  given  a  furlough  for  a  few 
days  to  visit  his  mother  and  sister,  when  the  great  proc 
lamation  came  out  that  all  deserters  should  be  dealt  with 
capitally.  He  was  taken  up  and  sent  to  the  front,  and 
without  knowledge  of  the  details  of  his  case,  he  was  sen 
tenced  to  be  shot  with  another  young  man  from  the  city 
of  Newark,  a  boy  of  nineteen,  who  had  committed  the 
indiscretion  of  putting  a  "  Y  "  on  his  military  cap  in  the 
place  of  "  J,"  and  thus  had  gone  into  a  New  York  regi 
ment  of  the  same  number  with  his  own,  in  camp  near  by. 
He  said  to  me,  "  I  wish  you  to  go  and  see  Mr.  Lincoln 
and  try  and  save  the  lives  of  those  boys."  And  they  were 
saved.  I  believe  they  are  living  to-day.  It  is  a  small 
matter,  perhaps,  but  I  may  say  that  in  both  of  those  cases 
the  men  came  from  families  belonging  to  a  political  party 
not  his  own.  A  man  came  to  my  house  on  Tuesday,  and 
in  conversation  said  that  Governor  Parker  gave  him  ad 
vice  at  a  trying  time  in  early  life,  which  had  a  determin 
ing  influence  upon  his  whole  career;  and  when  after- 


64  MEMORIAL  OF 

wards  Mr.  Parker  received  the  nomination  for  Governor, 
he  spoke  to  his  friends  about  voting  for  him,  and  they 
said  "You  will  not  vote  fora  Democratic  Governor?" 
and  he  replied,  "  Yes,  I  will  vote  for  Governor  Parker  an 
hundred  times  if  I  have  the  opportunity;  he  did  me  a 
favor  I  never  can  forget." 

And  now  with  infinite  satisfaction  we  turn  to  contem 
plate  the  noblest  quality  in  the  .character  of  our  honored 
friend,  which  bore  fruit,  as  we  humbly  trust,  to  his  ever 
lasting  joy  and  glory.  He  always  reverenced  religion. 
His  mother  was  a  godly  woman,  and  like  all  great  men 
and  those  of  generous  nature,  he  loved  his  mother.  He 
watched  at  her  bedside  when  she  died,  and  as  she  calmly 
spoke  of  the  heavenly  life,  whilst  his  heart  was  breaking 
with  generous  grief,  he  obtained  visions  of  those  things 
which  are  more  noble  and  of  more  worth  than  the  great 
est  glory  of  the  world.  From  the  influence  of  that  moth 
er's  holy  life  and  triumphant  death,  he  could  never  free 
himself.  He  said  that  he  always  hoped  to  be  a  Christian. 
As  he  sat  a  faithful  and  attentive  listener  in  one  of  these 
pews — and  he  was  never  absent  when  he  could  be  here — 
deep  emotion  would  often  show  itself  in  every  feature  of 
his  face,  and  his  wrhole  frame  would  sometimes  be  moved 
with  inward  feeling.  I  remember  during  the  close  of  the 
canvass  when  he  was  the  last  time  elected  Governor,  he 
had  made  five  speeches  on  Saturday — one  at  Newark  at  a 
late  hour — and  he  ordered  his  carriage  with  swift  horses 
to  be  at  the  station  at  ]N"ew  Brunswick  to  convey  him  to 
his  home,  so  that  he  could  spend  the  Sabbath  in  that,  to 
him,  most  blessed  and  helpful  sanctuary.  Sabbath  morn 
ing  he  was  in  his  place  in  the  house  of  God.  I  spoke  to 
him  about  it  and  said,  "  I  thought  you  were  in  Newark 
at  ten  o'clock  last  night;"  and  he  said,  "  So  I  was,  but  I 
do  not  like  to  spend  a  Sabbath  in  a  hotel,  and  especially 
at  such  a  time  as  this,  to  be  surrounded  by  political  asso 
ciations."  Oh,  what  a  power  that  home  was  to  our  dear 
friend.  And  to  all  those  struggling  in  the  great  affairs 


JOEL  PARKER.  65 

of  life  what  a  blessing  is  there  in  a  refined  Christian  home. 
He  loved  music  and  especially  the  sweet  hymns  and  sen 
tences  which  his  long  since  sainted  daughter  rendered  in 
our  sanctuary  with  thrilling  tenderness  and  pathos.  After 
her  beautiful  death  he  could  repel  the  solicitations  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  no  longer.  He  went  at  that  period  through 
an  experience  of  grief  a  thousand  fold  more  distressing 
than  his  recent  brief  translation.  In  the  early  spring  of 
1881  he  presented  himself  at  this  sacred  place  to  receive 
holy  baptism.  Alone,  he  stood  here  in  the  aisle  and  took 
upon  himself  the  vows  and  covenant  of  God.  Here,  rev 
erently,  humbly  and  devoutly  he  knelt,  and  as  the  tears 
ran  down  his  cheeks,  he  received  the  water  of  baptism. 
Since  then  he  has  honored,  as  might  have  been  expected 
such  a  man  would  do,  the  Christian  profession  he  made. 
He  loved  the  Bible,  Christian  fellowship,  the  house  of 
worship,  and  the  place  of  prayer,  and  it  is  a  tender  inci 
dent  connected  with  this  church,  which  will  so  greatly 
miss  his  earnest  and  wise  counsel,  that  the  very  last 
thoughts  of  his  life,  connected  with  his  home  associations, 
were  given  to  the  erection  of  the  new  tower  of  this  church, 
and  his  strongest  desire  was  that  he  might  live  to  see  the 
work  completed.  The  last  night  he  spent  in  Freehold  he 
talked  with  me  nearly  an  hour  upon  this  very  subject  of 
the  church's  improvement  and  the  means  by  which  he 
proposed  to  aid  in  carrying  on  the  work,  and  how  he 
hoped  to  see  the  debt  extinguished. 

How  few  well  rounded  lives  there  are  !     How  seldom  is 
the  ideal  of  the  poet  realized,  when  he  says: 

"  So  live  that  when  thy  summons  comes 

*  #  *  *  *  * 

Thou  go  not,  like  the  quarry  slave  at  night, 
Scourged  to  his  dungeon,  but,  sustained  and  soothed 
By  an  unfaltering  trust,  approach  thy  grave 
Like  one  who  wraps  the  drapery  of  his  couch 
About  him,  and  lies  down  to  pleasant  dreams." 

And  yet  not  to  dream  ;  to  rest,   to  rejoice  and   still  to 
serve.     How  beautiful  his  death. 

Though  in  a  strange   city  he  found  his  head  pillowed 


66  MEMORIAL   OF 

in  a  home  which  his  own  gentle  charity  had  furnished  for 
a  defenceless  woman  and  her  children.  His  last  words 
on  earth  were  those  the  deepest  engraved  upon  his  affec 
tionate  heart,  a  recognition  of  his  cherished  wife.  He 
was  spared  the  pain  of  a  long  sickness,  the  fear  of  dying 
and  the  anguish  of  separation.  He  went  down  to  the 
brink  of  that  little  stream  which  we  call  death,  with  his 
family  around  him,  a  vanished  hand  outstretched  from 
the  other  side  beckoned  him  over,  and  he  gained  the 
vision  and  the  presence  of  his  Lord  and  the  life  immortal. 

We  commend  these  dear  surviving  friends  to  the  mer 
ciful  loving  kindness  of  their  Lord.  They  know  "  Whom 
they  have  believed  and  are  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to 
keep  that  which  they  have  committed,"  and  do  this  day 
commit,  "  into  his  hands  against  that  day."  These  sons 
have  before  them  an  illustrious  example  to  follow,  and 
may  be  cheered  along  the  henceforth  darkened  pathway 
of  life  by  the  heartfelt  sympathy  of  those  who  will  wish 
them  well  for  their  father's  sake.  The  noblest  virtue  and 
the  loftiest  aims  should  lure  them  on  to  fellowship  with 
the  good  and  great  of  earth. 

Of  those  who  are  in  middle  life  and  advancing  years, 
those  who  were  associated  with  him  upon  the  Judicial 
bench  and  in  the  lofty  stations  of  the  political  arena, 
those  wrho  have  known  and  respected  our  honored  dead 
in  all  the  various  relations  of  life,  let  me  bespeak  a  serious 
thought  concerning  the  emptiness  of  all  pursuits  and  la 
bors  which  do  not  grasp  our  country's  good,  the  good  and 
ennoblement  of  our  fellow  men,  the  cause  of  Christ  on 
earth  and  the  immortal  glory !  Presidents  and  Generals  and 
Governors  of  the  people  and  Judges  die.  Monuments  of 
granite  perish.  That  which  is  immortal  is  the  good  men 
do.  By  deeds  of  righteousness,  by  works  of  charity,  by 
the  enforcement  of  principle,  by  sowing  the  seeds  of 
truth,  the  world  is  made  better,  character  is  formed  and 
heaven  is  won,  through  the  faith  and  grace  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Let  the  young  learn  to  day,  that  industry, 


JOEL  PARKER.  67 

integrity,  kindness  of  heart  and  manner,  a  virtuous  life 
and  Christian  faith,  have  their  reward  in  this  world  and 
in  the  world  to  come. 

We  await  the  resurrection.  From  the  chamber  of 
death,  from  the  home  now  made  desolate,  from  the  house 
of  God  where  we  have  desired  to  gather  lessons  of  com 
fort  and  wisdom,  we  go  to  the  grave,  and  thence  we  go 
to  our  homes  again,  and  then  to  our  several  callings  in 
life.  We  separate,  no  more  to  meet  on  earth.  But  we 
shall  all  be  gathered  together  again  !  We  shall  be  sum 
moned  by  the  voice  of  the  archangel  and  the  trump  of 
God  !  Whether  death  overtake  us  soon  and  suddenly  as 
it  did  our  brother,  or  with  many  premonitions  years 
hence,  we  shall  sleep  the  sleep  of  death  ;  or  shall  we  be 
startled  by  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man  to  judgment ! 

Shall  you  and  I  and  all  of  us  in  that  great  day  appear 
before  the  throne  with  clean  hands  and  a  pure  heart,  and 
with  robes  of  righteousness  whiter  than  snow  ;  or  shall 
we  come  terrified  and  unprepared  into  the  awful  presence 
of  that  unseen  world!  By  this  sudden,  startling  provi 
dence,  by  the  tokens  of  our  mortality  which  afflict  us 
to-day,  I  beseech  and  warn  you,  in  the  language  of  the 
Master,  "  Be  ye  also  ready,  for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye 
think  not,  the  Son  of  Man  cometh." 

Hymn— "Lead,  Kindly  Light"     Music  by  J.  B.  Dykes. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Bendiction,  by  Her.  H.  G.  Smith. 

Our  Father  which  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be  Thy 
name.  Thy  kingdom  come.  Thy  will  be  done  in  earth, 
as  it  is  in  heaven.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. 
And  forgive  us  our  trespasses,  as  we  forgive  those  that 
trespass  against  us.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation, 
but  deliver  us  from  evil.  For  Thine  is  the  kingdom  and 
the  power  and  the  glory,  forever.  Amen. 

Now  the  God  of  peace,  that  brought  again  from  the 
dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep, 


68  MEMORIAL   OF 

through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you 
perfect  in  every  good  work  to  do  His  will,  working  in 
you  that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  His  sight,  through 
Jesus  Christ;  to  whom  be  glory  forever  and  ever.  Amen. 

The  vocal  music  was  rendered  by  the  following  mem 
bers  of  the  choir  of  the  Presbyterian  church  :  Misses 
Belle  H.  McClure,  Jennie  A.  Perrine  and  Kate  Blackwell, 
and  Messrs.  J.  B.  Haviland  and  A.  A.  Chambers. 

To  the  Cemetery. 

The  procession  was  then  re-formed,  and  headed  by 
Voss's  Band,  of  Newark,  playing  funeral  marches,  with 
the  Joel  Parker  Association  as  escort,  proceeded  to  the 
Freehold  cemetery.  The  following  selections  were  per 
formed  by  the  Band : 

Funeral  March,  "  Crown  of  Immortelles,"     -        Rossini. 
Funeral  March,  No.  5,  -        Beethoven. 

Funeral  March,  Chopin. 

At  the  Grace. 

The  following  burial  service  was  conducted  by  Rev. 
Henry  G.  Smith : 

I  heard  a  voice  from  Heaven  saying  unto  me,  Write, 
Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord  from  hence 
forth  ;  Yea,  saith  the  Spirit,  that  they  may  rest  from  their 
labors  ;  and  their  works  do  follow  them. 

Forasmuch  as  it  hath  pleased  Almighty  God,  in  His 
wise  providence,  to  take  out  of  the  world  the  soul  of  our 
brother  departed,  we  therefore  commit  his  body  to  the 
ground;  earth  to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust; 
looking  for  the  general  Resurrection  in  the  last  day,  and 
the  life  of  the  world  to  come,  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ;  at  whose  second  coming  in  glorious  majesty  to 
judge  the  world,  the  earth  and  the  sea  shall  give  up  their 
dead ;  and  the  corruptible  bodies  of  those  who  sleep  in 
Him  shall  be  changed,  and  made  like  unto  His  own  glo 
rious  body ;  according  to  the  mighty  working  whereby 
He  is  able  to  subdue  all  things  unto  Himself. 


JOEL  PARKER.  69 

The  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  love  of 
God,  and  the  fellowship  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  be  with  you 
all,  evermore.  Amen. 

"  Nearer  my  God,  to  Thee"  Voss's  Band. 

The  Joel  Parker  Association,  of  Newark,  which  formed 
one  side  of  the  square  at  the  grave,  then  formed  in  pro 
cession  and  marched  around  the  grave,  each  one  casting 
upon  the  coffin  a  sprig  of  evergreen,  and  then  resumed 
their  places,  when  their  band  performed  a  solemn  dirge. 


Memorial  Meetings, 


Addresses  and  Resolutions, 


Memorial  Meetings,  Addresses  and 
Resolutions. 


STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 


PROCLAMATION  BY  THE  GOVERNOR. 

Ex-Governor  Joel  Parker  died  suddenly,  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,, 
on  the  morning  of  January  2,  1888. 

The  eminent  services  rendered  by  him  to  his  native  State,  his 
selection  to  the  prominent  and  important  positions  which  he  filled, 
his  pure  patriotism,  unyielding  integrity  and  conspicuous  fidelity  to 
every  trust,  render  it  fitting  that  more  than  ordinary  respect  be  paid 
to  his  memory. 

That  he  was  her  only  citizen  who  has  been  twice  elected  Governor 
of  the  State  by  the  people,  identified  with  the  military  as  a  Major 
General,  once  occupying  the  position  of  Attorney  General,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  are  evidences  of  the 
respect,  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  people,  which  he  secured  and  to 
the  last  enjoyed. 

He  administered  the  affairs  of  State  during  some  of  the  most  trying 
times  of  the  late  war  with  ability,  firmness  and  prudence,  complying 
with  every  requirement,  and  true  and  loyal  to  the  integrity  of  the 
Union  and  the  Government,  yet  always  maintaining  the  rights  and 
dignity  of  the  State  and  its  institutions.  His  foresight  established  a 
method  for  the  settlement  of  the  war  debt  without  burden  to  the  peo 
ple.  His  every  act  as  her  Chief  Magistrate  was  dictated  by  anxious 
desire  for  her  interests  and  prosperity. 

Therefore  I,  Robert  S.  Green,  Governor  of  the  State  of  Xew  Jersey, 
do  in  testimony  of  the  respect  for  his  memory  and  sympathy  in  his 
loss,  hereby  direct  that  the  public  buildings  be  draped  in  mourning 
for  thirty  days,  and  that  until  the  day  of  the  funeral  the  flags  thereon 


74  MEMORIAL    OF 

be  placed  at  half-mast,  and  that  during  the  funeral  services  the  public 
offices  be  closed  and  the  proper  salute  be  fired. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  privy  seal,  at  Trenton, 
[L.S.]          this  third  day  of  January,  A.  D.  eighteen  hundred  and 

eighty-eight.  ROBERT  S.  GREEN, 

Attest :  Governor. 

ROBT.  S.  GREEN,  JR.,  Private  Secretary. 


TOWX  OF  FREEHOLD. 


CITIZENS     MEETING. 
Report  of  the  Committee  on    Resolutions. 

IN  MEMORIAM  : 

The  citizens  of  the  town  of  Freehold,  convened  by  its  Mayor  for 
appropriate  action  regarding  the  sudden  death  of  the  Honorable  Joel 
Parker,  desire  to  express  their  sincere  sorrow  at  this  irreparable  loss; 
their  supreme  respect  for  his  memory,  and  their  affectionate  apprecia 
tion  of  his  character  as  a  true  man,  a  good  neighbor  and  a  firm  friend 
in  all  his  relations  to  the  people  with  and  for  whom  he  lived  well 
nigh  half  a  century. 

As  a  public-spirited,  broad-minded,  large-hearted,  whole-souled  citi 
zen,  he  was  foremost  in  every  enterprise  promotive  of  the  social, 
commercial,  educational  and  artistic  advancement  of  our  community. 

As  a  counsellor  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  he  was  conscien 
tious,  industrious  and  learned,  at  once  an  earnest  and  eloquent  advo 
cate,  a  safe  guide  and  a  fearless  champion. 

As  Governor  of  our  State — and  notably  during  the  perilous  period 
of  our  civil  war — he  was  conspicuous  among  his  cotemporaries  for 
ability,  probity,  loyalty  and  courage,  leading  and  inspiring  the  masses. 

As  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  his  eminent  qualifications — 
combining  the  scholarly  attainments  of  the  legal  practitioner  and  the 
broad  experience  of  the  man  of  affairs — enabled  him  to  discharge  the 
high  duties  of  that  responsible  office  with  acknowledged  dignity, 
wisdom  and  righteousness. 

Impressed  by  this  retrospect  of  an  exemplary  character  and  career, 
we,  his  old  time  friends  and  neighbors — long  honored  by  his  life 
among  us  ;  his  kindly  concern  for  our  personal  and  public  good  ;  and 
his  consistent  efforts  for  their  realization — while  reverently  "  kissing 
the  rod  that  sorely  smites  us,"  would  mingle  our  modest  minor  with 
the  many  which  blend  to  swell  that  solemn  strain  of  sorrow,  eloquent 
of  the  universal  love  and  respect  of  his  native  State,  whose  historic 
honor  and  prosperity  are  HO  indissolubly  linked  with  his  own  fair 


JOEL  PARKER.  75 

fame  as  her  most  distinguished,  pure,  patriotic  and  popular  son,  of  the 
generation  he  faithfully  served  and  eminently  adorned. 

And,  with  a  sensitive  delicacy  of  feeling  which  fears  to  obtrude 
upon  that  inner  sanctuary  of  grief— the  home  his  presence  once  nobly 
filled — we  would  tenderly  convey  to  his  loved  ones  there  the  assurance 
of  our  sincere  sympathy  and  our  deep  desire  to  help  lighten  by  shar 
ing,  if  we  may,  the  burden  that  is  not  all  their  own. 

And,  that  our  cherished  memories  of  the  departed  and  our  Christian 
hopes  for  him  and  his  dearest  survivors,  may  humbly  follow  wherever 
he  was  best  known  and  beloved,  for  this  faltering  tribute — that  only 
suggests  to  kindred  hearts  those  sympathetic  emotions  which  no 
language  can  enshrine — we  bespeak  a  place  among  like  memorials  of 
him  whom  we  shall  all  reverently  remember  as  one  of  the  grand  com 
pany  of  earth's  great  and  good,  who — touched  by  that  angel  of  the  re 
surrection  whom  men  call  Death— stand  henceforth  transfigured. 

The  citizens  of  Freehold,  by 

HOLMES  "W.  MURPHY, 
FRANK  P.  MCDERMOTT, 


JOHN  B.  CONOVER, 
JAMES  S.  YARD, 
January  2, 1888.  CHARLES  A.  BENNETT, 


Committee. 


RESOLUTIONS  OF  CO.   E.,    SEVENTH  REGT.,  N.  G.   N.  J. 

Resolved,  That  we  learn  with  profound  regret  of  the  death  of  ex- 
Governor  Parker,  an  honorary  member  of  this  company,  and  that  we 
tender  our  sincere  sympathies  to  his  family  in  their  great  bereavement. 
Resolved,  That  this  Company  wear  the  usual  badge  of  mourning  for 
thirty  days. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  on  our  minutes,  and  that 
a  copy  of  the  same  be  forwarded  to  the  family. 
By  order  of  the  Company, 

1st  Lieut.  JOHN  W.  HULSE,  \ 

1st  Sergt.  JOSEPH  BROWN,    >  Committee. 

Private     JOSEPH  A.  YARD,  J 


MEMORIAL  OF  MONMOUTH  LODGE,  I.  0.  OF  O.  F. 

At  a  meeting  of  Monmouth  Lodge,  No.  20,  I.  O.  of  O.  F.,  held  at 
their  lodge  room  in  Freehold  on  Monday  evening,  January  9th,  the 
committee  appointed  at  the  preceding  meeting  to  report  a  memorial 
on  the  death  of  ex-Governor  Parker  made  the  following  report,  which, 
on  motion,  \vas  received  and  adopted,  and  a  copy  thereof  signed  by 
the  officers  and  under  the  seal  of  the  Lodge  was  ordered  to  be  sent  to 
the  family  and  published  in  the  newspapers  of  Freehold : 

This  Lodge  receives  with  feelings  of  profound  grief  the  intelligence 


76  MEMORIAL    OF 

of  the  death  of  ex-Governor  Parker,  one  of  the  original  members  of 
this  Lodge,  for  years  an  honored  officer,  and  always  a  warm  and  earn 
est  supporter  of  the  Order.  In  his  life  and  character  he  illustrated 
the  principles  of  our  Order  and  reflected  honor  upon  the  institution  at 
large.  In  his  death  we  have  sustained  a  loss  that  cannot  be  repaired. 
Words  fail  us  to  express  our  admiration  for  his  personal  character  and 
our  appreciation  of  his  worth  to  our  institution  and  to  the  community 
which  he  so  faithfully  served  during  his  long  and  useful  life.  We  can 
but  mingle  our  tears  with  those  of  his  sorrowing  friends,  and  refer  to 
his  record,  now  the  common  pride  of  his  native  county  and  State,  and 
the  common  inheritance  of  his  fellow  citizens,  and  claim  that  he  was 
also  our  brother  and  friend  ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  a  memorial  page  be  set  apart  in  our  minutes  upon 
which  to  inscribe  the  record  of  his  decease,  and  that  the  Lodge  room 
be  draped  in  mourning  for  the  space  of  thirty  days. 

WILLIAM  MCDERMOTT,    "j 
JAMES  S.  YARD,  >-  Committee. 

FREEHOLD,  Jan.  9,  1888.  ALONZO  BROWER,  J 

A  true  copy  from  the  minutes  : 

JOHN  F.  SICKLES,  N.  G. 
GEORGE  E.  BROWN,  Sec'y. 


MEMORIAL  OF  OLIVE  BRANCH  LODGE,  F.  A.  M. 

At  a  stated  communication  of  Olive  Branch  Lodge,  No.  16,  F.  A.  M., 
held  on  Tuesday  evening,  January  24,  the  following  minute  and  reso 
lutions  were  adopted : 

IN  MEMORIAM. 

Our  eminent  brother,  Joel  Parker,  died  on  the  2d  day  of  January, 
A.  D.  1888,  in  the  72d  year  of  his  age. 

Having  been  twice  elected  Governor  of  this  State  and  filled  the 
offices  of  Attorney-General  and  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  besides 
other  minor  offices,  he  had  been  honored  by  his  fellow  citi/ens  with 
perhaps  more  distinguished  honors  than  had  ever  before  been  con 
ferred  upon  any  of  its  sons.  During  his  long  political  life  he  won  the 
respect  and  confidence  of  all  by  his  frankness  and  moderation,  and  his 
fair  name  was  unsullied  by  the  breath  of  slander.  As  a  citizen  of  our 
town  and  county  he  was  foremost  in  every  enterprise  which  con 
tributed  to  their  advantage  or  renown.  Among  many  other  activities, 
his  labors  in  behalf  of  the  erection  of  the  "  Battle  Monument  "  in  our 
town,  and  his  contributions  to  the  State  Historical  Society,  will  long 
be  remembered  and  appreciated  by  our  people. 

As  a  Mason,  he  was  sincerely  attached  to  the  principles  of  the  order, 
and  was  ever  ready  to  aid  and  assist  in  the  relief  of  distress.  He  was 


JOEL  PARKER.  77 

made  a  Mason  in  this  Lodge  on  the  24th  of  April,  1857,  and  by  his 

death  it  has  lost  one  of  its  oldest,  most  devoted  and  faithful  members  ; 

therefore  be  it 
Resolved,  That  a  memorial  page  be  reserved  in  the  minutes  of  the 

Lodge,  and  that  this  minute  be  entered  therein ;  And  be  it  further 
Resoli-ed,  That  the  Lodge  room  be  suitably  draped  with  the  usual 

emblems  of  mourning. 

J.  C.  LAWRENCE,  ~\ 

H.  W.  MURPHY,    >•  Committee. 

A.  C.  HART,  J 


FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  congregation  of  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Freehold,  held  on  Monday,  April  2,  1888,  in  the  lecture 
room  of  the  church,  Mr.  Charles  Hartzheim  presented  the  following 
preamble  and  resolutions  from  the  Board  of  Trustees,  which  were 
adopted  by  the  congregation  : 

MEMORIAL  OF  HOX.  JOEL  PARKER. 

WHEREAS,  It  has  pleased  our  Heavenly  Father  to  call  into  eternal  rest, 

by  sudden  death,  while  temporarily  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  on 

January  2,  1 888,  Joel  Parker,  at  the  time  of  his  death  a  Judge  of  the 

Supreme  Court  and  ex-Governor  of  the  State  of  Mew  Jersey,  and  a 

member  of  this  Church  and  its  Board  of  Trustees ;  and 

WHEREAS,  It  is  the  desire  of  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 

and  congregation  to  express  their  high  appreciation  of  his  character 

and  of  his  zeal  and  labors  for  the  benefit  of  this  Church  while  a 

member  of  its  Board  of  Trustees  ;  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  while  we  share  the  common  sorrow  of  the  people  of 

this  community  and  State  over  the  loss  of  so  distinguished  a  fellow 

citizen,  wise  and  just  Judge,  and  honored  officer,  we  mourn  in  the 

death  of  the   Hon.  Joel   Parker  a  beloved  member,  to  whose  wise 

counsel,  zeal  and  generosity  this  Church  is  largely  indebted  for  its 

present  material  prosperity ;  and  be  it  further 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  upon  the  records  of  this 
Church. 


EXERCISES  AT  FREEHOLD  ON  MEMORIAL  DAY,  1888. 

On  the  occasion  of  the  decoration  ceremonies  at  the  Freehold  Ceme 
tery  the  grave  of  ex-Governor  Parker  was  strewn  with  flowers  by  a 
committee  compo-ed  of  members  of  the  Vredenburgh  Eifles,  (Co.  E, 
7th  Reg't,  N.  G.  N.  J.,)  Capt,  J.  W.  Conover  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and  Capt. 
H.  I.  Conine  Camp,  Sons  of  Veterans. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  services  at  the  cemetery  an  address  was  de- 


78  MEMORIAL  OF 

livered  at  Shinn'sHall  by  the  orator  of  the  day,  William  H.  Vreden- 
burgh,  Esq.,  who  made  the  following  reference  to  the  deceased  ex- 
Governor  : 

On  July  18th,  1862,  a  stirring  and  important  proclamation  for  troops 
was  issued  by  the  Major-General  commanding  here,  which  probably 
had  more  effect  in  hastening  enlistments,  and  shaping  public  senti 
ment,  than  any  local  event  that  had  yet  occurred.  This  address  was 
issued  by  Major-General  Joel  Parker.  You  remember  him  well.  He 
has  but  just  now  gone  to  his  silent  grave,  where  he  rests  from  the 
labors  of  a  very  active  and  useful  life — a  life  devoted  to  duty  and  to 
great  ends  and  aims,  but  which  always  kept  in  view  the  best  interests 
of  the  community  in  which  he  lived  ;  a  man  whose  intense  patriotism 
and  zeal  for  the  establishment  of  rightful  authority  was  born  of  revolu 
tionary  fervor.  He  brushed  aside  the  counsels  of  such  of  his  would- 
be  advisers  as  were  inclined  to  put  obstacles  in  the  way  of  the  vigorous 
prosecution  of  the  war,  and  plunged  into  it  with  all  the  enthusiasm  of 
his  nature.  He  refuse  1  to  listen  to  the  seductions  of  treason,  and  rose 
high  above  it.  Let  me  read  to  you  his  glowing  words,  as  they  came 
from  his  pen  on  July  18,  1862,  before  he  became  the  Governor  of  our 
State  : 

"  The  next  few  weeks  will  probably  determine  whether  the  Union  is  to  be  restored 
and  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  again  become  the  accepted  primary  law 
throughout  its  former  jurisdiction,  or  whether  the  Republic  bequeathed  by  our 
fathers  is  TO  LOSE  ITS  NATIONAL  LIFE.  AND  BE  STRUCK  FROM  THE  LIST  OF  THE  POWERS 

OF  THE  EARTH.  THE  GOVERNMENT  NEEDS  MEN  AND  NEEDS  THEM  NOW,  AND  IF  EVERY 
MAN  COULD  BE  MADE  TO  KNOW  AND  APPRECIATE  THE  IMMINENT  PERIL  OF  THE  NATION 
THE  REfUMEXTS  CALLED  FOR  WOULD  BE  RAISED  IX  30  DAYS." 


MOXMOUTH   COUXTY. 


At  the  opening  of  the  January  term  of  the  Monmouth  Courts,  on 
Tuesday,  January  3d,  after  the  Grand  Jury  had  been  sworn,  Judge  E. 
W.  Scuddder  addressed  them  as  follows  : 

JUDGE    SCUDDEIl'S    ADDRESS. 

We  have  met  to-day  under  the  shadow  of  a  great  sorrow.  One  of 
the  foremost  men  of  our  state,  a  citizen  of  your  own  county,  who  has 
twice  been  elected  to  the  office  of  Governor,  and  twice  been  appointed 
to  the  position  of  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  has  died  suddenly, 
away  from  his  home.  His  patriotism  in  the  time  of  greatest  peril  to 
our  nation  ;  his  probity  of  character  in  common  life  and  high  official 
positions;  his  excellent  judgment  and  superior  knowledge  in  his  pro- 


JOKL  PARKER.  79 

fession  and  in  the  ordinary  affairs  of  business,  have  made  him  con 
spicuous  from  his  early  manhood  down  to  the  time  of  his  lamented 
death.  You  will  all  join  with  me  in  paying  a  sorrowful  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  the  Honorable  Joel  Parker,  who  loved  his  native  county 
of  Monmouth  so  well,  and  always  in  word  and  action  showed  his  great 
pride  and  interest  in  her  prosperity.  You  will  also  join  with  me  in 
the  expression  of  sympathy  with  his  friends  in  their  great  affliction. 
There  will  be  a  meeting  of  the  Bar  and  proper  resolutions  passed  and 
entered  in  the  minutes  of  the  court,  showing  our  high  appreciation  of 
his  wrorth  ;  and  I  trust  that  all  who  can  will  on  next  Friday  be  pres 
ent  at  his  funeral,  and  follow  to  their  last  resting  place  the  remains  of 
our  honored  friend,  who  in  serving  the  public  so  faithfully,  has 
reflected  great  credit  upon  his  native  county.  I  do  not  feel  that  it  is 
necessary  to  make  any  special  charge  to  you  at  this  time,  and  after  the 
formal  opening  of  the  court  and  the  arrangement  of  its  business  for  the 
term,  will  adjourn  the  session  for  to-day  as  a  proper  respect  to  the 
memory  of  my  associate  on  the  bench  of  our  Supreme  Court. 


MEMORIAL    OF    THE    (JRAND    JURY. 

On  the  assembling  of  the  Grand  Jury  of  Monmouth  county,  Janu 
ary  Term,  the  following  memorial  was  adopted  : 

Joel  Parker,  jurist  and  statesman,  our  friend,  is  dead. 

His  exemplary  and  distinguished  life  is  spent,  and  that  life  won  for 
him  our  love,  achieved  bright  honors,  gained  national  respect,  and 
will  ever  be  a  grateful  and  cherished  memory  to  the  commonwealth  of 
New  Jersey.  The  responsibility  of  public  duty  fell  upon  him  while 
yet  young,  and  left  him  not  until  the  end  had  come.  As  a  legislator 
he  was  conscientious  and  wise  ;  as  a  statesman  incorruptible  and  loyal 
when  others  easily  forgot  that  disloyalty  was  a  hideous  crime ;  as  the 
chief  executive  of  the  State,  when  dissolution  plotted  against  the 
National  life,  his  zeal  and  devotion  to  the  Union  made  him  bright 
and  conspicuous  as  a  patriot  and  earned  for  him  the  grateful  benedic 
tion  of  Abraham  Lincoln ;  as  a  Judge  he  was  deliberate,  fairminded 
and  profound ;  as  a  man  sympathetic,  genial  and  upright.  Honored 
among  the  great  yet  always  cherished  fellowship  with  the  lowly  ; 
gifted  but  not  arrogant;  dignified  but  tainted  by  no  mean  pride  ;  he 
was  firm  in  resolution  but  tender  in  heart.  Therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  with  tins  epitome  of  a  pure,  useful  and  brilliant  life 
before  us,  we,  the  members  of  the  Grand  Jury  of  Monmouth  county, 
give  expression  to  that  profound  sadness  and  sincere  grief  with  which 
the  announcement  of  the  death  of  the  Hon.  Joel  Parker  has  filled  us 


80  MEMORIAL    OF 

and  move  a  copy  of  the  same  be  presented  to  his  family  and  published 

in  the  county  papers.        Signed 

THEO.  AUMACK,  RICHARD  BORDEN, 

WM.  A.  DUNLOP,  ORLIN  GREEN, 

RICHARD  TAYLOR,  Jos.  A.  THROCKMORTON, 

RULIFF  P.  SMOCK,  ABRAM  H.  MORRIS, 

HUBBARD    FORMAN,  JAMES    FAY, 

J.  ELMER  NELSON,  CHAS.  S.  BULLOCK, 

WM.  B.  DURYEE,  GRANDIN  P.  JOHNSON, 

JOHN  VANMATER,  GEO.  W.  PATTERSON,  JR., 

DAVID  BAIRD,  DAVID  S.  GIFFORD, 

JOHN  H.  HEYER,  AMOS  TILTON, 

JAMES  FAY,  Clerk,  THEO.  AUMACK,  Foreman. 


RESOLUTIONS  OF  THE  BOARD  OF    CHOSEN  FREEHOLDERS. 

WHEREAS,  The  Board  of  Chosen  Freeholders  of  the  County  of  Mon- 
mouth,  in  common  with  the  people  of  New  Jersey,  feel  that  death 
has  removed  from  our  midst  one  of  the  most  eminent  of  our  public 
men,  and  we  also  feel  that  we  have  lost  a  citizen  wrho  has  exercised 
a  controlling  and  beneficent  influence  in  the  public  affairs  of  this 
county  for  nearly  half  a  century,  and  that  it  is  proper  and  fitting 
that  the  death  of  Joel  Parker  should  be  in  a  public  form  commemo 
rated  by  us ;  it  is  therefore 

Resolved,  That  while  we  may  not  question  the  inscrutable  ways  of 
God  we  may  still,  in  common  with  our  stricken  community,  mourn 
the  loss  of  an  eminent  and  exemplary  citizen,  a  pure  and  patriotic 
statesman,  and  a  learned  and  impartial  Judge. 

Resolved,  That  while  wre  point  with  just  pride  as  a  native  born  citi 
zen  of  this  county  to  his  life-long  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  State 
and  county,  we  find  a  melancholy  satisfaction  in  recalling  his  love  for 
his  native  county,  his  efforts  for  its  prosperity  and  fame  and  his  zeal 
in  honoring  the  memory  of  our  Revolutionary  Sires. 

Resolved,  That  we  regard  the  death  of  Joel  Parker  a  public  loss :  Not 
alone  as  a  defender  of  popular  rights  against  all  encroachments,  the 
protector  of  the  weak  and  feeble  against  the  strong  and  powerful,  but 
because  he  was  always  ready  to  sacrifice  his  personal  interests  on  the 
altar  of  the  public  good,  to  aid  the  poor  with  an  open  hand,  and  to  as 
sist  the  needy  with  generous  liberality. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  in  our  minutes,  be  pub 
lished  in  the  newspapers  of  the  county,  and  that  an  engrossed  copy  be 
presented  to  the  bereaved  family. 


JOEL  PARKER.  81 

Resolved,  That  the  Court  House  be  continued  draped  in  mourning 

for  thirty  days. 

C.  B.  WAGNER, 
JEHU  P.  COOPER, 


A.  W.  VANDERVEER, 
W.  A.  DUNLOP, 
WILLIAM  L.  TILTON, 
FREEHOLD,  Jan.  11,  1888.  JOHN  HENRY  HEYER, 


Committee. 


THE  BEXCII  AXD  BAR. 


PROCEEDINGS    IN    THE    COURT    OF    ERRORS    AND    APPEALS. 

On  the  28th  day  of  January,  1888,  immediately  after  the  reading  of 
the  opinions,  Hon.  Benjamin  Williamson  arose  and  called  attention 
to  the  departure  from  life,  since  the  last  meeting  of  the  court,  of  one 
of  the  Judges  of  the  Court,  and  asked  permission  on  the  part  of  the 
Bar  of  the  State  to  have  read  an  expression  of  feeling  concerning  the 
deceased. 

Mr.  G.  D.  W.  Yroom,  on  behalf  of  the  Bar,  then  presented  the  fol 
lowing  : 

Since  the  last  meeting  of  this  Court,  one  of  its  members,  Joel 
Parker,  has  departed  this  life ;  and  the  Bar  of  this  State  desire  to 
express  to  the  Court  the  sense  of  their  great  loss. 

Judge  Parker  was  perhaps  the  best  known  public  man  in  New 
Jersey.  He  had  held  with  great  honor,  and  had  discharged  with 
conspicuous  ability,  during  the  trying  times  of  the  late  civil  war,  the 
duties  of  the  chief  executive  office  of  New  Jersey.  In  appreciation  of 
such  services  he  was  again  called  to  that  high  trust,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  he  was,  and  for  nearly  eight  years  previous  thereto  had 
been,  a  distinguished  and  useful  member  of  this  Court. 

The  Bar  of  this  State,  in  recognition  of  the  eminent  public  services 
of  Joel  Parker,  wish  to  express  to  the  Court,  in  this  public  manner, 
their  high  appreciation  of  his  patriotism,  his  marked  ability  and 
undoubted  integrity,  and  ask  that  this  tribute  of  respect  be  entered  on 
the  minutes  of  the  court. 

It  was  ordered  that  the  paper  be  entered  on  the  minutes  of  the 
court.  Chief  Justice  Beasley  then  said  : 

The  sorrow  and  regret  expressed  by  the  Bar  at  the  death  of  Mr. 
Justice  Parker  is,  I  am  sure,  participated  in  to  the  full  by  every  mem 
ber  of  this  Court.  In  common  with  our  fellow  citizens  at  large,  wre 
feel  that  the  loss  of  one  so  truly  distinguished  by  a  life  devoted  to  the 
public  sendee  is  a  calamity  to  every  inhabitant  of  the  State ;  and  yet, 
while  as  individuals  we  share  in  this  common  grief,  we  cannot  but  be 
aware  that  as  Judges  we  have  sustained  a  particular  bereavement. 


82  MEMORIAL   OF 

The  deceased  was  our  associate  and  co-laborer,  and  \ve  could  not  fail 
to  feel  that  his  presence  strengthened  and  dignified  every  court  in 
which  he  sat.  He  had  many  judicial  qualities  of  a  high  order.  Fore 
most  among  these  was  his  profound  sense  of  the  obligations  of  his 
office.  In  his  position  on  the  bench,  as  well  as  in  all  other  offices 
filled  by  him,  he  gave  himself  to  it  with  all  his  strength.  This  made 
him  a  strenuous  worker.  Et  was  at  first  thought  that  in  the  trial  of 
causes  he  was  somewhat  slow  and  dilatory,  but  it  was  soon  found  that 
this  was  the  result,  not  of  indolence,  but  of  industry,  for  if  he  procras 
tinated  it  was  with  the  purpose  of  mastering  the  facts  and  the  law  in 
all  their  details.  The  result  was  that  a  litigant  was  seldom  injured 
by  his  mistake.  So  this  sei>se  of  duty  appeared  to  keep  his  mind 
open  to  the  just  influence  of  argument  and  advice  ;  he  was  the  oppo 
site  of  an  opinionated  man  ;  he  was  as  one  determined  to  be  right, 
and  he  willingly  accepted  any  aid  to  that  end. 

Another  judicial  qualification  of  prominence  was  his  wide  knowl 
edge  of  men  and  their  affairs.  He  was  verged  in  the  various  transac 
tions  of  business,  and  he  read  human  nature  easily  by  the  light  of  a 
great  experience.  This  was  the  groundwork  of  that  common  sense  for 
which  he  was  so  conspicuous,  and  whose  conclusions  were  generally 
as  reliable  as  the  deductions  of  a  more  elaborate  logic.  He  reached 
the  justice  of  the  case  before  him  as  if  by  instinct,  and  in  this  import 
ant  respect  he  was  not  often  in  error.  He  was  a  hater  and  puni  slier 
of  fraud  in  all  its  forms,  and  he  loved  truth  and  honesty  as  only  a 
good  man  can.  Such  qualities  as  these,  both  moral  and  intellectual, 
would  make  any  man,  as  they  made  him,  a  figure  of  prominence  on 
any  judicial  bench. 

Then,  too,  his  character  was  such  as  to  give  weight  and  authority 
to  the  magistracy  of  which  he  formed  a  part.  That  he  was  honest; 
that  he  meant  to  do  right ;  that  his  motives  were  pure,  no  one  ever 
questioned.  He  had,  and  justly  had,  the  implicit  confidence  of  all 
ranks  and  conditions  of  men.  It  may  be  said,  with  almost  literal 
truth,  that  he  had  no  enemy,  and  that  every  man  who  was  worthy  of 
his  acquaintance  was  his  friend. 

The  assent  of  a  man  thus  respected  and  reverenced  gave  a  moral  as 
well  as  a  legal  force  to  every  judicial  decision  in  which  he  participated. 

In  his  manners  he  was  affable  but  dignified  ;  in  social  intercourse  he 
was  amiable  and  friendly,  ever  zealous  in  rendering  assistance  to  those 
who  deserved  it.  No  man  was  less  censorious,  and  he  was  lenient  to 
the  foibles  of  others,  so  that  his  estimates  of  men,  while  they  were 
judicious,  were  kind. 

Such  a  man  as  this  was  entitled  to  respect,  esteem,  affection,  and  I 
am  sure  that  I  express  the  common  sentiment  of  this  court  when  I 
say  that  every  member  of  it  is  deeply  conscious  that  by  this  lamented 
death  he  has  lost  an  admirable  associate  and  a  loyal  friend. 

Chancellor  McGill  directed  that  the  eulogium  be  entered  on  the 
minutes  of  the  court. 


JOKL  PARKER.  83 


MONMOUTH. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Monmouth  Bar  Association,  Friday  morning, 
January  6th,  Judge  Scudder  and  Associates  presiding,  Robert  Allen, 
Esq.,  of  Red  Bank,  chairman  of  the  committee,  offered  the  following 
resolutions : 

MEMORIAL  RESOLfTIONS. 

WHEREAS,  Death  has  lately  removed  from  our  midst  Joel  Parker,  a  dis 
tinguished  and  meritorious  resident  and  citizen  of  our  county  of 
Monmouth  : 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  manifest  the  affection  and  respect  of 
the  members  of  the  Monmouth  County  Bar  for  him.  Twice  elected 
Governor,  once  Attorney-General  and  twice  appointed  and  confirmed 
an  Associate  Ju-tice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey, 
who  died  in  Philadelphia,  January  2nd,  1888.  Alike  distinguished  for 
simplicity  of  manner  and  purity  of  intention.  Fearless,  dignified  and 
instructive  as  an  officer  and  a  Judge.  No  influence,  no  self  interest, 
could  swerve  his  integrity  or  bias  his  judgment.  Whilst  we  bow  with 
humble  resignation  to  the  inevitable  doom  of  humanity,  we  may  adore 
the  goodness  of  Providence  that  spared  his  years  so  long,  to  leave  to 
his  professional  associates  a  spotless  fame,  and  to  his  country  the 
labor,  knowledge  and  wisdom  of  a  long,  official  and  judicial  life. 

Resolved  ^  That  his  patriotism,  his  devotion  to  the  principles  of 
liberty,  justice  and  equality,  his  undeviating  fidelity  to  the  trusts  of  his 
State  and  discharge  of  his  various  duties  of  life,  have  left  an  honorable 
and  indelible  imprint  in  the  pages  of  history,  State  and  National,  and 
an  ineffaceable  impression  on  the  memories  of  his  fellow  men. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  communicated  to  the 
family  of  the  decea>ed,  as  an  assurance  to  them  of  a  sincere  condolence 
of  the  members  of  the  Bar  of  his  native  county,  and  of  the  officers  of 
this  Court,  in  this  their  bereavement,  incident  to  the  great  loss  sus 
tained  by  them. 

ROBERT  ALLEX,  JR., 
GEO.  C.  BEEKMAX, 
CHARLES  HAKJIIT, 
RENS.  W.  DAYTON, 
JOHN  E.  LANNING, 
January  6,  1F8S.  W.  H.  VREDENBUKGH. 

Judge  A.  C.  McLean  moved  the  adoption  of  the  resolutions  and 
made  the  following  remarks  : 

REMARKS  BY  JUDGE  M*C  LEAX. 

Iii  the  year  1836  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Judge  Parker.  We 
\vere  then  classmates  in  the  College  of  New  Jersey,  at  Princeton, 
where  we  graduated  in  1839.  That  acquaintance  grew  into  a  friend- 


84  MEMORIAL    OF 

ship  which  lasted  until  broken  by  his  death  ;  a  harsh  or  unkind  word 
has  never  passed  between  us.  To  me  he  was  one  of  the  most  reliable 
practitioners  at  this  Bar  ;  any  verbal  statement  or  agreement  of  his,  I 
could  rely  upon  implicitly  ;  his  word  was  as  good  as  his  bond.  For 
thirty  years  we  lived  within  stones-throw  of  each  other ;  I  knew  him 
long,  I  knew  him  well. 

It  is  of  the  home  life  of  my  friend  I  desire  to  speak.  He  began  the 
practice  of  his  profession  here  in  1842.  He  was  faithful,  studious, 
laborious  and  pains-taking  in  his  work,  and  soon  took  a  prominent 
place  at  this  Bar  and  secured  a  large  practice.  Perhaps  the  most  noted 
case  in  which  he  was  engaged  was  the  trial  of  Donnelly,  for  the  mur 
der  of  Moses,  in  this  county,  in  1857.  He  was  then  Prosecutor  of  the 
Pleas  and  was  assisted  by  Judge  Dayton,  then  Attorney-General.  This 
has  always  been  considered  the  most  ably  conducted  prosecution  on 
the  part  of  the  State  ever  tried  here.  Judge  Dayton's  reputation  was 
then  at  its  zenith.  The  late  Daniel  B.  Ryall  declared  his  closing  argu 
ment  to  be  the  most  eloquent  and  powerful  effort  he  had  ever  heard, 
and  yet  by  all  Judge  Parker's  opening  address  before  the  jury  com 
pared  well  with  that  of  Dayton,  though  Parker  was  then  a  young  man. 
In  his  cases  he  came  to  trial  fully  prepared,  and  as  a  consequence  he  was 
very  successful ;  he  made  the  cause  of  his  client  his  own.  At  home 
his  many  traits  of  character  were  best  known.  His  equanimity  of 
temper  was  remarkable ;  he  wras  rarely  disturbed  even  under  strong 
provocation ;  his  conduct  towards  others  was  never  harsh  or  unkind. 
His  charity  and  benevolence  was  large  and  free,  the  poor  never  left 
his  door  unaided.  His  gifts  to  the  various  denominations  of  Christians 
were  constant  and  liberal.  His  love  for  this  his  native  county  was 
strong,  and  he  was  first  in  every  movement  to  advance  its  interests  ;  he 
picked  up  scraps  of  its  early  history,  until  he  had  the  largest  unpub 
lished  collection  in  the  State.  His  respect  for  religion  was  marked  all 
along  the  pathway  of  life,  and  in  the  full  strength  of  a  vigorous  man 
hood  he  publicly  professed  Christ  in  the  church  of  his  parents. 
Judge  Parker  was  the  last  of  those  who  composed  this  Bar  when  I 
commenced  practice.  They  have  all  crossed  the  river,  the  dark  river 
of  Death. 

"  One  by  one, 
Their  travel-stained  garments  are  all  laid  down, 

And  clothed  in  white-raiment  they  rest  on  the  mead. 
Where  the  Lamb  loveth  his  children  to  lead 

One  by  one. 
To  some  were  the  floods  of  the  river  still, 

As  they  forded  their  way  to  the  Heavenly  hill, 
To  others  the  waves  run  fiercely  wild, 
Yet  all  reach  the  home  of  the  undefiled, 
One  by  one." 

Judge  Parker  died  as  the  warrior  loves  to  die,  with  his  armor  on 
and  bright,  in  the  front  rank  of  the  strife.  In  the  forepart  of  the  day 


JOEL  PARKER.  85 

on  which  he  was  stricken  down  he  was  in  Court  discharging  the  duties 
of  his  office.    Brothers,  let  us  draw  a  lesson  from  this  providence : 
"We  too  shall  come  to  that  river  side, 

One  by  one. 
We  are  nearer  its  waters  each  eventide, 

One  by  one. 
We  can  hear  the  noise  and  the  dash  of  the  stream, 

Now  and  again  through  our  life's  deep  dream, 
Sometimes  the  floods  all  its  banks  overflow, 
Sometimes  in  ripples  some  waves  go, 

One  by  one. 

Saviour,  Redeemer,  be  Thou  in  full  view, 
Then  smilingly,  gladsomely  shall  we  pass  through 
One  by  one." 

The  Court  ordered  that  the  resolutions  be  spread  upon  the  minutes 
and  a  certified  copy  be  communicated  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 


BURLINGTON. 

On  Wednesday  morning,  at  the  time  appointed  for  Court  to  open, 
Prosecutor  Hendrickson  announced  the  death  of  Judge  Parker,  and 
moved  that  Court  take  a  recess  until  Monday,  and  that  a  meeting  be 
held  at  once. 

Judge  Glasgow  was  called  to  preside,  and  W.  Budd  Deacon  was 
chosen  secretary. 

Charles  E.  Hendrickson,  John  L.  N.  Stratton,  Mahlon  Hutchinson, 
Mark  R.  Sooy,  Jerome  B.  Grigg,  Judge  Glasgow  and  Judge  Wills  were 
appointed  to  draft  suitable  resolutions  touching  Judge  Parker's  death, 
and  the  meeting  adjourned. 

On  Monday  morning  the  adjourned  meeting  was  called  to  order  by 
Judge  Glasgow.  Prosecutor  Hendrickson  presented  the  following 
memorial : 

IN    MEMORIAM. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  of  the  county  of  Bur 
lington,  held  at  the  Court  House  in  Mount  Holly,  on  Wednesday,  the 
4th  day  January,  1888,  the  Prosecutor  of  the  Pleas  announced  to  the 
Court  the  sudden  death  of  the  Hon.  Joel  Parker,  Associate  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court  of  this  State,  who  was  then  completing  his  eighth 
year  as  the  Presiding  Judge  of  the  courts  of  this  county,  and  moved 
that  out  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased  the  courts  do  now 
adjourn  until  after  the  funeral,  and  that  a  meeting  of  the  Bench  and 
Bar  be  immediately  held  to  take  suitable  action  in  the  premises.  The 
courts  were  thereupon  adjourned  until  the  following  Monday, 
and  a  meeting  of  the  Bench,  Bar  and  officers  of  the  courts  was  im 
mediately  held,  at  which  the  undersigned  were  appointed  a  commit 
tee  to  report  to  the  courts  at  their  adjourned  meeting,  expressive  of 
their  high  appreciation  of  the  great  worth  and  services  of  the  de- 


86  MEMORIAL   OF 

ceased  and  their  sorrow  at  his  death.  Your  committee  do  therefore 
report  the  following  minutes  to  be  spread  upon  the  records  of  the 
court  : 

Joel  Parker  was  born  in  Monmouth  county,  on  November  24th, 
1816.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  College  in  1839  ;  was  admitted  to 
the  Bar  of  New.  Jersey  in  1842  ;  wTas  a  member  of  the  Legislature  of 
this  State  in  1847  ;  was  Prosecutor  of  the  Pleas  of  his  native  county 
from  1851  to  1856  ;  was  a  Major  General  of  the  Militia  in  1861  ;  was 
Governor  of  this  State  for  two  separate  terms,  from  1863  to  1806,  and 
from  1872  to  1875;  was  appointed  Attorney  General  in  1875;  was  a 
Justice  of  the  Highest  Courts  of  this  State  from  1880  until  the  time  of 
his  death  ;  he  was  the  most  signally  honored  citizen  that  New  Jersey 
has  ever  had.  In  the  performance  of  all  these  varied  trusts  imposed 
upon  him  by  his  fellow  citizens,  rare  intelligence,  great  honesty  and 
ardent  patriotism  were  always  conspicuous  elements  of  his  life  and 
character. 

In  the  trying  years  of  the  war  his  ability  and  patriotism  shone  out 
with  unusual  lustre  ;  he  was  so  prompt  and  efficient  in  sending  New 
Jersey  troops  to  the  front,  especially  when  Pennsylvania  was  invaded 
and  our  Northern  firesides  threatened,  that  he  received  personal 
plaudits  from  Governor  Curtin,  from  the  Secretary  of  War  and  from 
President  Lincoln  himself.  No  one  can  ever  dispute  his  just  claim  to 
the  title  of  the  great  War  Governor  of  New  Jersey  ;  his  love  for  the 
soldier  and  his  unremitting  efforts  for  their  care  and  comfort  caused 
the  veteran  to  ever  regard  him  with  great  attachment,  and  the  people 
to  reward  him  wherever  it  was  possible  to  do  so. 

With  a  proud  record  of  statesmanship,  legal  attainments,  and  fealty 
to  public  and  private  trusts,  he  went  upon  the  Bench  by  the  appoint 
ment  of  Governor  McClellan,  and  served  the  State  in  his  new  field 
with  great  fidelity  and  distinction.  It  was  in  this  capacity  that  he 
was  brought  into  close  contact  with  us  as  members  of  the  Bench  and 
Bar  and  people  of  Burlington  county.  In  his  official  labors  here  he 
was  painstaking  and  industrious  to  a  high  degree.  His  great  ambition 
seemed  to  be,  though  often  at  the  expense  of  time,  to  be  so  careful  and 
accurate  in  all  his  judicial  determinations  that  all  errors  might  be 
avoided  and  litigants  be  saved  the  necessity  of  long  and  expensive 
appeals  in  the  higher  courts. 

As  a  Judge  he  was  able  and  impartial  ;  firm  in  the  administration 
of  justice,  but  tender  and  merciful  to  the  unfortunate.  To  his  asso 
ciates  upon  the  Bench  he  was  ever  respectful  and  attentive,  often 
deferring  to  their  practical  judgment  in  matters  under  consideration. 
To  the  members  of  the  Bar  and  officers  of  the  court  he  was  ever  kind 
and  courteous,  ready  to  as-dst  the  profession  in  matters  of  practice 
with  which  his  long  experience  as  a  lawyer  had  made  him  so  familiar. 
To  the  people  he  was  ever  cordial  and  approachable,  ready  to  listen 
and  advise.  For  the  last  three  years  he  had  spent  his  winters  with 


JOEL  PARKER.  87 

his  family  in  our  county  in  order  to  be  near  his  courts ;  he  was  spend 
ing  the  present  winter  in  the  city  of  Burlington,  the  early  home  of  his 
estimable  companion. 

Ours  was  the  last  circuit  in  which  he  was  permitted  to  sit.  On  Sat 
urday  he  had  presided  at  our  Courts,  apparently  in  his  usual  health, 
and  on  the  afternoon  of  that  day  he  suffered  the  attack  which  so 
speedily  ended  his  eventful  life.  To  his  other  great  virtues  he  added 
a  love  and  reverence  for  religion  which,  present  during  his  whole  life, 
ripened  into  full  acceptance  of  faith  a  few  years  since,  when  he  became 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  at  Freehold. 

We  deeply  mourn  the  loss  of  our  Judge  and  friend ;  we  tenderly 
sympathize  with  his  bereaved  widow  and  children,  and  we  will  ever 
hold  in  grateful  remembrance  his  many  kind  services  to  us  and  to  the 
people  of  our  county. 

JAMES  0.  GLASGOW, 
BEXAJAH  P.  WILLS, 
JOHN  L.  N.  STRATTOX, 
CHARLES  E.  HEXDRICKSOX, 
MARK  R.  SOOY, 
JEROME  B.  GRIGG. 

Mr.  Ilendrickson  moved  that  the  report  be  adopted,  and  then  made 
a  few  remarks  on  the  death.  He  said  there  had  never  been  an  event 
like  this  in  the  history  of  the  State  that  has  as  much  affected  the  pub 
lic  heart  and  especially  Burlington  county.  This  was  no  doubt  due 
to  the  fact  that  the  death  strikes  us  so  nearly,  and  occurring  as  it  did 
during  a  session  of  our  court.  The  Judge  was  alwrays  fond  of  being  in 
this  circuit,  in  which  he  had  such  a  host  of  warm  friends.  His  living 
in  our  midst  for  three  years  past  shows  the  love  he  had  for  our  coun 
ty.  He  was  a  man  whom  all  could  look  up  to,  and  his  noble  example 
should  be  followed. 

Judge  Wills  seconded  the  motion  to  adopt  the  committee's  report. 
He  said  that  while  he  had  not  so  long  been  associated  with  the  Judge 
as  some  of  the  other  members,  yet  he  always  found  him  a  pleasant 
companion,  fair  in  his  rulings,  in  wrhich  he  seldom  erred.  He  was 
well-liked,  and  one  of  our  greatest  statesmen. 

Mr.  W.  Budd  Deacon  said :  I  would  not  be  doing  justice  to  my 
feelings  if  I  did  not  add  a  few  words  to  those  that  have  already  been 
said  in  memory  of  a  great  and  good  man.  In  the  early  days  of  the 
war  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  Joel  Parker,  and  as  years  rolled  on, 
in  the  course  of  official  and  private  life,  I  became  intimately  acquaint 
ed  with  him,  and  learned  to  respect  and  honor  him.  Xo  man  who 
knew  him  could  fail  to  admire  him.  While  honors  had  been  heaped 
upon  him  thick  and  fast,  they  never  turned  his  head.  He  knew  he 
was  only  a  man  and  never  thought  himself  better  than  his  fellow 
man,  and  in  the  discharge  of  his  official  duties  and  in  all  the  walks 
of  life,  he  always  met  his  fellow  citizens  (high,  low,  rich  and  poor,) 


MEMORIAL    OF 

alike  with  an  extended  hand,  prompted  by  a  warm  heart,  and  never 
overlooked  or  forgot  a  friend.  He  was  conservative  and  liberal  in  his 
views,  and  while  firm  in  his  political  opinions  and  believed  in  adher 
ing  to  the  rules  of  his  party,  he  never  allowed  them  to  interfere 
with  his  social  relations  ;  and  the  same  rights  and  privileges  he 
claimed  for  himself  he  conceded  to  others.  Asa  Judge  he  was  con 
scientious,  careful,  impartial  and  courteous,  and  I  venture  to  say, 
while  abler  lawyers  may  hereafter  preside  over  this  court,  no  one  will 
ever  excel  him  in  these  qualities.  His  achievements  were  grand,  and 
those  who  have  reached  the  summit  of  the  hill  of  life  and  are  on  the 
downward  journey,  can  refer  the  young,  who  are  about  to  enter  that 
rough  and  rugged  road,  to  his  success  in  life  as  a  worthy  example  for 
them.  Joel  Parker  is  no  longer  with  us;  he  has  taken  his  flight  to 
another  and  better  world,  and  is  resting  from  his  labors.  His  mem 
ory  will  ever  be  cherished  by  all  true  Jerseymen,  and  his  name  will 
go  down  in  history  as  one  of  New  Jersey's  noblest  sons.  I  second  the 
adoption  of  the  resolution. 

Mr.  Joseph  H.  Gaskill  said  he  heartily  endorsed  all  that  had  been  said 
before  the  meeting.  His  certificate  as  an  attorney,  he  said,  had  been 
signed  by  Judge  Parker  fourteen  years  ago.  No  one  had  ever  suffered 
at  the  hands  of  the  deceased.  The  youngest  lawyer  received  the  same 
respect  and  attention  from  him  as  the  oldest  practitioner. 

Mr.  Jerome  B.  Grigg  thought  he  would  not  let  the  event  pass  with 
out  bearing  some  testimony  to  the  life  and  type  of  character  of  Judge 
Parker,  one  which  is  a  noble  example  to  all  young  men.  He  said  he 
had  only  known  the  Judge  for  a  short  time,  but  in  it  he  had  found 
him  an  eminent  man,  clothed  by  nature  in  the  garb  of  simplicity.  The 
.able  manner  in  which  he  discharged  his  great  trusts  commends  him 
to  our  highest  respect.  As  a  Judge  he  was  impartial  and  not  one  word 
•could  be  said  against  him.  Mr.  Grigg  said  he  found  the  gate  of  ap 
proach  to  Judge  Parker  was  always  ajar.  He  was  a  warm  friend  to  the 
county  and  a  just  Judge. 

Mr.  Jacob  C.  Hendrickson  said :  I  take  great  pleasure  in  adding  a 
few  words  in  testimonial  of  my  appreciation  of  the  deceased.  He, 
who  a  few  short  days  ago  was  our  companion  in  the  business  activities 
of  our  courts  ;  he,  whose  mind  and  heart  were  earnestly  and  diligently 
engrossed  in  the  causes  of  action  of  our  people,  administering  justice 
between  them,  has  left  us  beyond  recall.  The  hand  we  grasped  with 
cordiality  and  friendship  lies  limp  and  pulseless ;  the  light  of  those 
eyes  that  interested  and  attracted  us  has  faded  and  the  lids  have  closed 
upon  them  in  eternal  sleep  ;  the  tongue  that  voiced  to  us  words  of 
amusement,  instruction  and  wisdom  has  been  hushed  in  the  impen 
etrable  silence  of  the  tomb ;  all  that  was  physical  of  our  late  companion 
and  presiding  officer  has  been  laid  away  in  the  bosom  of  the  old  and 
mysterious  earth  ;  all  that  was  spiritual  of  the  man,  the  patriot,  the 
statesman,  the  jurist,  Joel  Parker,  has  winged  its  flight  to  the  arms 


JOEL  PARKER.  89 

of  the  omnipotent  and  merciful  Creator.  It  is  befitting,  then,  that  we 
pause ;  that  we  put  on  these  emblems  and  tokens  of  mourning  and 
sorrow  as  we  bow  before  the  Divine  dispensation  that  has  stricken 
down  before  us  this  distinguished  character.  It  is  befitting,  too,  that 
as  he  was  wont  to  do  justice  to  others,  we  do  the  same  justice  to  him 
by  a  true  and  proper  estimate  of  his  life  and  character.  Joel  Parker 
was  a  gentleman,  talented,  courteous,  courageous,  considerate,  meek, 
yet  dignified.  As  a  man  he  was  an  affectionate  and  indulging  husband 
and  father,  a  true  friend  and  a  charitable  neighbor.  He  inspired  his 
home  with  dignity,  honor  and  virtue.  As  a  citizen  he  was  a  true 
patriot ;  elevated  to  offices  of  trust  by  his  fellows,  he  was  an  honorable 
Legislator,  a  wise  Governor  and  an  impartial  Jurist,  inspiring  in  his 
State  a  love  for  law,  loyalty  and  true  liberty.  New  Jersey  has  been 
honored  and  benefitted  by  his  life  and  services.  It  is  ours  of  this 
Commonwealth  to  claim  the  pride  of  his  birth,  his  career  and  his  rest 
ing  place ;  yet  his  fame  and  influence  became  national  and  world-wide. 
His  memory  will  be  kept  green  by  the  present  generation  of  Jersey- 
men  and  History  will  point  with  unerring  finger  to  the  name  of  Joel 
Parker  as  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude  in  New  Jersey's  brilliant  con 
stellation  of  illustrious  sons  and  citizens. 

Judge  Glasgow  said  it  is  difficult  to  express  in  words  the  feeling  of 
the  court.  Judge  Parker  was  an  eminent  man  and  the  sunlight  of  his 
public  life  was  never  shadowed  or  darkened  by  any  clouds  of  impar 
tiality  or  dishonesty.  His  hospitality  knew  no  bounds.  No  sculptor 
ever  need  immortalize  Judge  Parker. 

The  resolutions  presented  by  the  committee  were  then  unanimously 
adopted  by  a  rising  vote  and  the  meeting  adjourned. 


CAMDEN. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Bar  of  Camden  County,  held  January  7th,  1888, 
Mr.  Thomas  H.  Dudley  presiding,  the  committee  appointed  at  a  pre 
vious  meeting  to  draft  resolutions  in  reference  to  the  death  of  Judge 
Parker,  presented  the  following  through  their  chairman,  Mr.  Samuel 
H.  Grey  : 

The  sudden  death  on  Monday,  January  2d,  of  Hon.  Joel  Parker,  one 
of  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  Jersey,  who  for  nearly 
eight  years  past  has  presided  over  the  courts  of  this  countv,  again 
admonishes  us  of  the  uncertain  tenure  by  which  we  hold  our  lives. 
Judge  Parker,  in  all  his  relations  with  our  bar  and  its  various  mem 
bers  was  kind,  considerate  and  courteous.  His  nature  was  simple ;  his 
disposition  most  amiable  and  sympathetic;  his  manner  engaging;  his 
industry  great,  and  his  sagacity  amazing.  He  was  essentially  a  laborer 
and  had  the  capacity  for  sturdy  work  and  systematic  energy  •without 
which  the  highest  talent  is  ineffective  to  accomplish  great  results.  As 


90  MEMORIAL    OF 

a  public  man  and  a  party  leader  Judge  Parker's  personal  qualities, 
allied  to  a  thorough  knowledge  of  affairs,  and  especially  of  the  political 
affinities  and  tendencies  of  the  people  of  this  State,  made  of  him,  while 
active  politics  engaged  his  attention,  an  irresistible  political  force.  He 
never  abused  or  betrayed,  but,  until  the  hour  of  his  death  he  retained 
and  enjoyed,  as  only  those  who  are  conscious  of  faithful  public  service 
could  enjoy,  the  imdiminished  confidence  of  the  people  of  New  Jersey. 
As  the  Governor  of  this  State,  at  a  time  when  the  safety  of  the  Nation 
was  imperilled,  Judge  Parker  by  his  patriotic  energy,  his  unceasing  in 
dustry  and  his  resolute  purpose  to  sustain  the  government,  won  the 
admiration  of  his  countrymen,  and  received  the  personal  thanks  of 
that  great  American,  Abraham  Lincoln.  Although  an  ardent  partizan 
in  the  use  of  all  proper  means  to  advance  his  party's  success,  his  first 
care  when  in  office  was  to  serve  the  State.  As  a  judge  he  was  pains 
taking,  faithful  and  sagacious.  His  strong  common  sense  supplied  his 
judgments  with  qualities  which  distinguished  them  as  judicial  deliver 
ances.  This  bar,  here  assembled  to  do  honor  to  his  memory,  desires 
to  place  upon  the  minute-;  of  the  Courts  of  this  county  this  memorial 
and  to  that  end 

Resolved,  That  the  presiding  officer  of  this  meeting  present  to  the 
Circuit  Court  of  this  count}',  at  its  first  meeting,  this  minute  and  request 
that  it  be  entered  on  the  records  of  the  Court  as  a  testimonial  of  the 
esteem  in  which  Judge  Parker  was  held  by  his  professional  brethren 
of  this  bar,  and  that  a  copy  of  these  proceedings,  duly  authenticated, 
be  furnished  to  Mrs.  Parker. 

SAMUEL  H.  GREY,  1 

DAVID  J.  PANCOAST, 

PETER  L.  VOORHEES,  |-  Committee. 

CHARLES  G.  GARRISON, 

MARMADUKE  B.  TAYLOR, 


After  the  presentation  of  the  resolutions  remarks  were  made  by 
several  members  of  the  Bar,  a  portion  of  which  have  been  quoted  by 
Major  Yard  in  the  preceding  biographical  sketch.  Further  selections 
are  herewith  appended. 

Mr.  Philip  S.  Scovel :  I  move  that  the  resolution  be  adopted,  and 
in  doing  so,  as  one  of  the  members  of  this  Bar,  I  desire  to  speak  as  to 
the  personal  worth  of  the  deceased  Judge  of  this  Court.  I  heartily 
endorse  every  word  that  our  committee  has  put  forth  in  this  report, 
and  I  think  that  it  fully  sets  forth  the  characteristic  points  of  Judge 
Parker,  and  believe  that  every  member  of  the  Bar  will  agree  with  me. 
The  first  time  that  I  recollect  seeing  Judge  Parker  was  in  1857.  1  had 
then  just  commenced  the  practice  of  the  law  in  Monmouth  county, 
and  at  the  next  term  of  the  court  I  was  present  when  James  P.  Don 
nelly  was  indicted  for  the  murder  of  Albert  S.  Moses,  at  the  High- 


JOEL  PARKER.  91 

lands.  The  chairman  of  this  committee  well  remembers  that  this  was 
a  remarkable  case,  and  one  that  excited  a  great  deal  of  attention  not 
only  in  this  State  but  in  other  States.  The  most  able  and  competent 
legal  counsel  were  employed  in  the  case;  if  I  recollect  right  Judge 
Dayton  assisted  Joel  Parker  in  the  prosecution  of  that  case.  The  trial 
occupied  a  great  deal  of  the  time  and  attention  of  the  court.  The  case 
was  carried  up  to  the  higher  courts,  and  its  record  covers  many  pages 
in  the  reports.  This  was  about  the  first  time  that  I  had  occasion  to 
see  and  know  Joel  Parker,  and  one  of  the  first  things  that  struck  my 
attention  was  the  great  respect  and  reverence  he  manifested  toward 
the  court ;  he  accepted  with  grace  and  dignity  the  rulings  of  the  court ; 
he  was  not  dogmatic  or  pertinacious,  but  he  appeared  at  all  times 
willing  to  accept  the  rulings  of  the  court.  Subsequently  to  this  occa 
sion  I  met  him  at  two  different  times  when  he  was  the  opposing 
counsel.  I  particularly  remember  one  case  at  Toms  Kiver,  when 
Judge  Elmer,  in  the  absence  of  the  usual  Circuit  Judge,  occupied  the 
Bench.  The  case  occupied  three  days,  and  I  there  found  in  my  first 
contest  with  Judge  Parker  that  he  was  truly  an  honorable  man.  He 
was  not  disposed  to  technicalities  in  the  trial  of  causes,  but  was 
opposed  to  technicalities  as  counsel  and  judge.  His  chief  desire 
seemed  to  be  to  try  a  case  upon  its  merits,  and  he  tried  and  argued  a 
case  before  the  court  with  all  due  respect  to  the  court  and  the  counsel. 
We  all  know  that  Judge  Parker  was  an  aspirant  for  honor  and  dis 
tinction.  It  was  a  great  quality  in  him,  and  it  should  be  our  desire  to 
aspire  to  stations  of  honor  and  distinction,  especially  when  we  follow 
the  course  that  Judge  Parker  pursued.  As  a  politician  he  resorted  to 
no  low  or  contemptible  means.  He  was  above  all  that ;  he  studied  to 
carry  his  purposes  by  honorable  means,  and  scorned  to  do  anything 
that  was  contemptible  or  beneath  the  dignity  of  an  honorable  man. 
He  was  faithful  in  his  positions,  he  was  true  to  the  people,  and  that 
is  what  made  him  what  he  was.  This  is  what  made  him  a  popular 
man  and  a  popular  candidate  before  the  people.  It  was  because  of 
these  firm  and  substantial  elements  in  his  character,  which  constitute 
true  manhood,  that  when  he  was  a  candidate  for  office,  the  people 
with  overwhelming  majorities  attested  their  willingness  to  endorse 
these  facts.  I  will  not  say  that  Judge  Parker  was  perhaps  as  learned  as 
some  of  his  associates  upon  the  Bench,  but  I  believe  that  as  these 
resolutions  have  stated,  he  was  "a  painstaking  man — a  careful  man," 
and  he  gave  his  opinions  with  great  deliberation  and  care,  after 
mature  thought  and  severe  investigation.  That  is  the  way  he  was 
assured  his  success.  He  was  kind  and  courteous  to  all ;  whether  in 
the  street,  upon  the  Bench,  or  wherever  he  was,  he  was  a  man  that  we 
could  approach — he  was  always  pleasant  and  a  man  who  reached  the 
hearts  of  the  people.  In  that  great  heart  of  his  there  was  a  large 
reservoir  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness  which  flowed  out  freely  to 
every  citizen  in  this  State.  I  do  not  wonder  that  when  he  was  sud- 


92  MEMORIAL    OF 

denly  stricken  down  so  many  men  high  in  office  as  well  as  humble 
citizens  of  the  State,  followed  him  to  the  grave  and  wished  to  attest 
their  last  respect  and  honor  to  that  Judge  who  presided  here  in  our 
midst,  and  who  has  been  twice  Governor  of  this  State.  I  do  not 
wonder  that  the  Capitol  of  the  State  is  draped  in  mourning.  It  is 
right  that  we  should  drape  this  court  house  also  in  emblems  of 
mourning,  and  that  we  should  pay  our  respects  to  the  memory  of  this 
man  who  has  done  us  so  much  good,  and  with  whom  we  have  all 
held  such  genial  intercourse. 

Mr.  Christopher  A.  Bergen  :  *  *  *  Judge  Parker  was  the 
idol  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey.  *  *  *  He  was  emphatic 
ally  a  politician.  I  say  emphatically,  because  for  forty  years  he  was 
in  political  life.  A  meeting  of  the  Bar  of  Camden  county  is  no  occa 
sion  upon  which  to  do  him  an  injustice.  *  He  was  a 
politician  not  in  the  low  sense  in  which  men  may  be  politicians,  but 
in  the  higher  and  more  exalted  sense  in  which  a  man  as  a  member  of 
the  community  acts  in  the  interests  of  his  fellow-citizens  for  the 
welfare  and  weal  of  the  State.  Such  a  man  was  Judge  Parker,  whether 
we  find  him  as  at  first  in  the  Legislature  of  New  Jersey,  or  afterwards 
as  Attorney  General  or  as  Governor  of  the  State,  or  as  Judge  upon  the 
Bench  ;  in  whatever  position  of  trust,  if  we  examined  the  why  and 
wherefore  he  acted  we  would  find  the  secret  motives  to  spring  from 
one  source,  a  desire  to  do  right,  patriotically  and  for  the  good  of  the 
citizen.  His  view  was  not  circumscribed  by  narrow  limits.  He  saw 
the  whole  State  and  all  its  conditions  of  life  at  a  glance.  His  finger 
was  naturally  upon  the  public  pulse,  and  his  discernment  was  so 
acute  that  it  anticipated  its  needs.  Public  sentiment  to  him  became 
almost  an  instinct.  *  *  *  Many  lessons  are  to  be  drawn 
from  his  private  life.  We  have  seen  him  in  the  domestic  circle,  the 
home  circle,  and  home  was  his  joy  and  happiness.  All  the  lessons 
of  his  life  should  lead  us  to  serve  the  State  and  Family  in  the  highest 
sense  of  the  citizen. 

Mr.  John  W.  Wartman  :  In  arising  to  second  this  motion  I  deem 
it  meet  that  I  should  contribute  my  mite,  my  unpretentious  testimony, 
to  the  private  character  of  our  departed  Judge.  His  public  life  and 
doings  constitute  the  most  important  part  of  the  history  of  our  State 
for  the  last  quarter  of  a  century.  It  is  unnecessary  that  I  should 
attempt  to  portray  to  you  the  glories  of  his  achievements  ;  they 
are  fresh  in  the  minds  of  all  of  us.  Unlike  many  of  the  patriots  and 
public  spirits  of  the  past,  he  was  appreciated  in  his  day  and  genera 
tion.  Volumes  of  praise  from  thousands  of  tongues  were  uttered  of 
him,  and  of  all  that  was  said  nothing  but  good  was  spoken  ;  and  in 
order  that  it  be  so  it  was  not  necessary  to  invoke  that  rule  of  ancient 
philosophy,  that  "  Naught  but  good  should  be  said  of  the  dead  ;"  it 
was  the  spontaneous  expression  of  the  irrepressible  truth.  I  will  not 


JOEL  PARKER.  93 

tarry  on  his  public  life,  but  it  is  of  his  private  life  that  I  propose  to 
speak.  When  I  heard  that  the  "  pale  faced  messenger  "  had  extended 
his  cold  hand  to  touch  him,  whom  I  may  say  I  have  some  reason  to 
call  my  friend,  I  was  overwhelmed  ;  a  cloud  appeared  to  raise  over  my 
very  existence,  that  such  an  event  should  usher  in  the  year.  A  score 
of  recollections  sprung  unbidden  to  my  mind,  nor  if  I  could  would  I 
have  been  disposed  to  crowd  them  out ;  they  came  from  the  most 
commendable  impulses  of  the  human  heart — from  gratitude.  Did  I 
say  "  He  was  my  friend  ?"  Ah,  yes.  He  was  my  friend.  And  my 
experience  with  human  nature  leads  me  to  the  belief  that  "  We  shall 
not  soon  see  his  like  again."  Nor  do  I  pretend  that  I  alone  stood  the 
recipient  of  his  favors.  He  made  no  distinction,  and  if  any  distinc 
tions  were  made  they  were  the  result  of  circumstances.  His  acts  of 
kindness  and  charity  were  not  exclusive.  He  dispensed  his  charity 
and  performed  his  acts  of  hospitality  and  philanthropy  with  a  happy 
faculty.  He  always  helped  the  right  person  at  just  the  right  time. 
I  would  ask  who,  under  the  broad  expanse  of  heaven,  more  needs  a 
word  of  encouragement  than  the  poor,  unknown,  but  eager  and  ambi 
tious  struggler  at  the  law  ?  No  one.  But  Judge  Parker  was  ever  ready 
to  encourage  ;  his  own  convenience  was  of  little  moment,  if  he  saw 
that  a  friendly  turn  was  necessary  and  necessary  at  once,  he  did  it  at 
any  cost ;  and  how  cheerfully  !  I  confess  I  could  not  account  for  the 
many  sacrifices  that  he  would  make  to  help  those  whom  he  thought 
needed  and  deserved  help,  unless  it  was  that  the  recollections  of  the 
struggles  of  his  early  life  were  fresh  in  his  mind,  and  they  must  needs 
have  been  as  fresh  as  though  it  had  been  yesterday  that  he  had  strug 
gled,  his  bounty  flowed  so  full  and  free.  I  declare  this  to  have  been 
the  key  to  his  success ;  endowed  with  unusual  sagacity,  directed  by 
the  purest  impulses  of  the  heart,  having  acquired  a  knowledge  of 
human  nature,  he  was  a  power  in  influencing  men.  His  life  has  been 
valuable  to  his  country  and  worthy  of  memory  to  his  brethren.  My 
theory  of  his  success  in  life  is,  that  he  must  have  pursued  this  course 
through  his  earlier  life  and  thus  carried  about  him  men  who  loved 
and  honored  him,  and  growing  strong  and  numerous  about  him  they 
made  him  their  leader.  *  *  *  We  all  respected  him  and 
lament  his  loss.  As  for  myself,  I  loved  and  honored  him  while  he 
lived,  and  now  that  he  is  dead  I  shall  love  and  honor  his  memory  as 
long  as  I  shall  live.  I  believe  all  of  us  can  unite  with  one  accord 
and  say, 

"  His  life  was  gentle,  and  the  elements 

So  mixed  in  him,  that  nature  might  stand  up 

And  say  to  all  the  world  '  this  was  a  man.'  " 

Mr.  Charles  G.  Garrison  :  To  judge  aright  the  life  of  any  man,  it  is 
necessary  that  we  know  the  tests  to  which  that  life  has  been  exposed  ; 
indeed,  without  this  knowledge  the  relative  worth  of  men's  characters 
could  not  be  estimated.  For  what  a  man  is  at  any  given  point  in  his 


MEMORIAL  OF 

career,  in  so  far  as  it  is  to  be  credited  to  him  as  an  honor,  depends 
upon  the  severity  of  the  tests  through  which  he  has  passed  in  reaching 
where  he  stands.  In  judging  of  the  character  of  Joel  Parker  there  is 
nothing  more  significant  than  the  fact  that  he  has  in  his  career  had 
applied  to  him  all  of  the  severer  tests  by  which  men  in  public  life 
can  be  tried,  and  under  which  so  many  have  lamentably  fallen. 
Entering  into  positions  of  public  trusts  at  an  early  period  of  his  life, 
and  continuing  to  fulfil  various  and  responsible  offices  to  the  time  of 
his  death,  he  exhibits  the  remarkable  and  honorable  spectacle  of  a 
man  who  has  successfully  withstood  not  one  line  of  temptation  only, 
but  every  form  in  which  ambition  or  avarice  can  make  itself  attrac 
tive  ;  not  only  have  his  hands  never  been  stained  in  financial  transac 
tions,  but  the  more  insidious  temptations  connected  with  great 
public  corporations  and  their  encroachments  upon  the  public  rights 
have  never  induced  him  to  swerve  from  the  line  of  his  duty  ;  and  in 
an  age  when  every  day  recounts  the  fall  of  men  whose  opportunities 
to  aggrandize  themselves  are  far  less  than  his,  it  is  refreshing  to 
dwell  upon  a  life  so  long  spent  in  successfully  withstanding  those 
temptations  which  seem  so  irresistible  to  so  large  a  number  of  public 
officers.  He  has  also  withstood  the  great  tests  of  power  and  success, 
not  only  continuing  to  hold  the  one  in  spite  of  the  other,  but  never 
using  wrongfully  the  power  which  was  given  to  him,  to  wrongfully 
injure  the  success  which  as  an  honorable,  ambitious  man  he  must 
have  desired.  Another  test  has  come  to  him  which  seldom  comes  to 
a  man  :  It  so  happens  that  owing  to  the  period  of  the  war  and  his 
connection  with  it,  he  has  lived  to  see  himself  become  an  historical 
figure  ;  and  the  eye  of  history  and  the  hand  which  writes  it,  with  all 
of  its  tendencies  to  condemn  the  motives  of  actors  in  a  public  scene, 
has  not  been  able  truthfully  to  find  in  him  and  in  his  public  relation 
ships  anything  but  what  was  praiseworthy.  To  be  able  thus  to  resist 
so  many  forms  of  temptation  in  public  life  indicates  that  which  was 
the  crowning  merit  of  the  character  of  Judge  Parker,  and  that  is  com 
plete  symmetry. 

Mr.  Samuel  H.  Grey  :  It  had  not  been  my  purpose  to  address  this 
meeting,  because  the  resolution  which  has  been  offered  and  is  now 
under  consideration  has  fully  expressed  the  estimation  in  which  I 
hold  the  character  of  our  departed  friend.  It  may,  however,  be  proper 
to  make  some  reference  to  one  essential  quality  in  his  character, 
which  as  it  was  illustrated  by  his  life  remains  to  us  not  only  as  a 
memory  of  him  but  as  an  example  that  might  be  taken  home  by  each 
and  all  of  us  as  a  governing  principle  of  our  professional  action — he 
was  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  duty.  It  is  easy,  Mr.  Chairman,  to 
express  one's  feeling  offender  sensibility  at  the  death  of  a  friend  in 
well-set  phrases  or  in  sounding  sentences,  but  it  is  the  character  of  the 
dead  illustrated  by  the  conduct  during  life  which  is  a  legacy  left 


JOEL  PARKER.  95 

behind.  "  Death  enters  by  a  thousand  doors  to  let  out  life,"  and  he 
only  is  ready  for  the  summons  who  faithfully  discharges  the  obliga 
tions  laid  upon  him.  Such  only  is  entitled  at  the  end  of  his  career  to 
receive  the  reward  of  faithful  service.  From  the  lips  of  Judge  Parker 
I  remember  this  as  the  thought  which  sustained  him,  as  the  expres 
sion  of  that  feeling  which  he  most  fully  appreciated,  the  commenda 
tion  which  he  received  from  all  quarters  during  his  career  as  Gover 
nor  in  the  trying  time  to  which  you  have  referred  ;  it  was  Judge 
Parker's  secret  pride,  expressed  in  confidential  words  to  confidential 
friends,  that  while  he  held  public  office  he  exercised  his  power  for  the 
public  good  to  the  best  of  his  judgment.  With  one  exception  he 
appointed  more  judges  than  any  other  Governor  of  New  Jersey;  he 
made  his  appointments  without  political  discrimination  or  favoritism. 
He  commissioned  more  officers  during  the  war  than  any  other  Gov 
ernor  could  have  done ;  he  never  issued  a  commission,  he  never 
recognized  a  claim  upon  executive  consideration  for  promotion,  unless 
it  was  predicated  upon  personal  services  to  the  State  and  to  the 
Nation  in  active  service.  * 

Mr.  Thomas  H.  Dudley  :        *  The  confidence  reposed 

in  Joel  Parker  by  Governor  Olden  (in  his  appointment  as  Major- 
General)  was  not  misplaced  ;  it  was  fully  sustained  in  every  way. 
Joel  Parker  was  true,  he  was  honest  and  loyal.  He  undertook  the 
work  and  he  did  it.  He  rallied  as  many  if  not  more  men  than  any 
other  man  in  the  State  around  the  standard  for  the  defense  of  his 
country,  and  it  was  that  act  and  his  conduct  in  organizing  the  militia 
to  put  down  the  Rebellion,  more  than  any  other  one  thing,  that  made 
him  Governor  of  the  State.  Nothing  did  so  much  to  add  to  his  popu 
larity,  or  is  more  worthy  of  praise.  I  mention  this,  and  hold  it  up  to 
your  view  as  a  bright  example  for  you  all  to  imitate  and  follow. 

*  He  was  patriotic  and  gave  his  hands  and  heart  to  the 
work.  He  did  his  duty  and  did  it  well,  and  the  people  sustained  him 
and  afterwards  rewarded  him  for  it.  It  is  that  which  adds  more  lustre 
to  his  name  and  fame  than  any  other  one  act  of  his  life  ;  in  my  judg 
ment,  all  the  others  are  insignificant  to  it.  When  he  came  to  occupy 
the  Executive  Chair,  he  followed  in  the  same  patriotic  line  the 
course  that  he  had  followed  when  he  was  appointed  to  organize  the 
militia.  He  was  true  and  loyal  to  the  State  and  the  country,  and  the 
oath  of  office  he  had  taken,  and  did  all  that  he  could  as  Governor  to 
uphold  the  arms  of  the  Government,  to  maintain  the  Union  and  put 
down  the  Rebellion.  For  this  he  is  entitled  to  all  honor  and  all 
credit ;  and  his  conduct  will  be  remembered  and  his  name  cherished 
so  long  as  our  free  institutions  remain.  *  *  * 

CAMDEN  COUNTY  BAR  ASSOCIATION. 

At  a  special  meeting  of  the  Camden  County  Bar  Association,  held 
January  4th,  1883,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  : 


tfO  MEMORIAL    OF 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  the  Camden  County  Bar  Association, 
deeply  impressed  by  the  many  good  qualities  and  acquirements  and 
patriotic  and  honored  life  of  the  Honorable  Joel  Parker,  late  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  New  Jersey,  and  Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court 
of  this  county,  deplore  the  decree  inevitable  which  has  removed  him 
from  his  place  of  usefulness,  dignity  and  honor. 

Resolved,  That  this  Association  attend  the  funeral  of  the  deceased  at 
Freehold  on  Friday  next. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  to  the  family 
of  the  deceased. 

B.  F.  H.  SHREVE,  Secretary. 


GLOUCESTER. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Gloucester  County  Bar,  held  on  January  5, 1888, 
a  committe  of  five  was  appointed  to  draft  suitable  resolutions  upon 
the  death  of  His  Honor,  Joel  Parker,  and  report  at  a  meeting  to  be 
held  on  January  31,  1888. 

On  January  31,  1888,  an  adjourned  meeting  of  the  Bar  was  held  with 
Judge  Alfred  Reed  presiding,  Wm.  Moore,  Esq.,  acting  secretary : 

When  Mr.  Belmont  Perry,  in  behalf  of  the  committee,  in  a  few  well 
chosen  remarks  moved  the  adoption   of  the  following  resolutions, 
which  motion  was  unanimously  carried  and  the  meeting  adjourned : 
WHEREAS  it  has  pleased  Divine  Providence  to  remove  by  death  the 
Hon.  Joel  Parker,  the  late  Presiding  Judge  of  the   Courts  of  this 
county,  from  that  sphere  which  his  eminent  ability  and  upright 
ness  of  character  so  much  adorned  ;  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  Bench  and  Bar  of  Gloucester  County  tender  to  his 
family  their  sincere  condolence  and  join  them  in  their  sorrow,  and 
while  recording  their  appreciation  of  the  eminent  worth  of  Judge 
Parker's  life  as  a  citizen,  desire  to  testify  to  their  regard  for  his  staunch 
integrity  and  manly  courage  and  wisdom  in  public  stations,  recogniz 
ing  in  him  one  of  the  truest  of  men,  a  ruler  who  could  afford  to  do 
right  under  every  circumstance,  and  a  Judge  without  guile  and  above 
reproach. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  upon  the  minutes  of  the 
Court  and  a  copy  of  the  same  be  forwarded  to  the  family  of  Judge 
Parker. 

JOHN  S.  JESSUP,          "1 
BELMONT  PERRY, 

LEAMING  MATLACK,    j-  Committee. 
WM.  MOORE, 

A.   H.  SWACKHAMER,  J 


JOEL  PARKER.  97 


ESSEX. 

The  Essex  County  Bar  met  Thursday,  January  5th,  1888,  to  take 
action  upon  the  death  of  Judge  Joel  Parker.  Judge  Depue  presided, 
and  among  those  attending  were  Judges  Kirkpatrick,  Johnson  and 
Goeken,  ex-Chancellor  Runyon,  Courtlandt  Parker,  W.  B.  Guild,  Jr., 
A.  Q,  Keasbey,  ex-Judges  Ludlow  McCarter  and  Stevens,  Louis  Hood, 
Carl  Lentz,  J.  R.  Emery  and  others.  Messrs.  Runyon,  Parker,  Guild, 
Keasbey,  and  Ludlow  McCarter,  the  committee  appointed  to  draft  a 
suitable  memorial,  reported  as  follows  : 

The  death  of  the  Honorable  Joel  Parker  is  an  event  in  regard  to 
which  the  Essex  Bar  feel  it  their  privilege  to  take  action.  He  was 
twice  Governor  of  the  State,  and  his  first  term  occurred  during  the 
Civil  War,  so  that  it  was  especially  full  of  opportunity  and  responsibil 
ity.  He  was  afterwards  for  a  short  time  Attorney-General  and  later 
still  he  was  a  Judge  of  the  Supreme  Court ;  as  such  he  was  ex-ofncio  a 
Judge  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  this  county,  and  though  he  never  actual 
ly  presided  here,  he  was  in  Supreme  Court,  and  in  the  Court  of  Ap 
peals,  well  known  to  us  all.  In  all  the  public  posts  he  occupied,  he 
displayed  the  same  qualities,  right-mindedness,  a  large  measure  of  in 
dependence,  genial  good-heartedness,  sound  judgment,  intense  in 
dustry.  He  was  eminently  a  lover  of  his  fellow  men,  and  therefore, 
probably  was  it  that  so  many  of  his  fellow  men  loved  him.  He  goes 
to  his  grave,  mourned  as  few  others  have  been  or  will  be.  His  was 
the  merit  of  a  full  use  of  all  that  his  Maker  gave  him.  His  life  has 
been  the  most  useful  of  examples.  He  will  long  be  both  missed  and 
regretted. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  this  minute  be  presented  to  the  Circuit  Court 
with  a  request  that  it  be  entered  upon  its  minutes  ;  that  one  be  sent  to 
the  widow  and  family  of  the  deceased,  and  published  in  the  journals 
of  this  city. 

ESSEX  CIRCUIT  COURT. 

The  foregoing  minute,  as  a  resolution,  having  been  presented  in  open 
Court,  it  is  ordered  that  the  same  be  entered  in  the  minutes  of  the 
Court. 

It  is  further  ordered  that  the  Court  stand  adjourned  over  until 
Saturday  morning,  that  the  Court  and  the  members  of  the  Bar  may 
attend  the  funeral  of  the  deceased. 

In  presenting  these  resolutions,  Mr.  Chairman,  said  ex-Chancellor 
Runyon,  I  will  say  a  few  words  on  the  subject.  We  have  met  as  mem 
bers  of  the  Bar  to  speak  of  the  loss  we  have  in  the  profession  sustained 
in  the  death  of  Joel  Parker.  The  great  sense  of  the  people  has  caused 
the  greater  part  of  his  life  to  be  spent  in  public  places.  His  was  an 
eventful  life,  as  suggested  in  the  resolutions  which  I  have  read.  He 
was  Governor  at  a  critical  period  in  the  history  of  America,  and  he 
did  his  duty  to  the  advantage  of  the  whole  country.  He  filled  the 


98  MEMORIAL   OF 

high  places  he  was  called  to  well.  His  fidelity  was  known  to  all.  His 
honesty  of  methods  and  of  purpose  were  well  recognized.  He  main 
tained  the  right  by  direct  methods  and  all  others  were  foreign  to  his 
nature.  No  man  more  honored  his  State  than  did  Joel  Parker.  How 
ever  partisanship  might  rage  all  men  were  satisfied,  because  they  knew 
there  was  an  honest  hand  at  the  helm  and  the  ship  of  State  would  not 
go  wrong.  As  a  lawyer  we  knew  him  here,  and  as  a  judge,  in  which 
position  he  was  equally  successful.  That  sturdy  common  sense,  that 
desire  for  the  right,  wras  specially  shown  here.  His  brethren  relied 
upon  his  judgment  and  honored  his  decisions.  With  regard  to  his  as 
sociation  with  his  brother  members  of  the  bar,  he  was  just  to  his 
clients  and  indefatigable  in  their  interests.  His  clients  got  his  best 
efforts.  He  bore  himself  nobly  in  public  and  private.  In  State  and 
National  matters  he  was  always  the  upright,  faithful,  honorable  citizen. 
His  patriotism  was  of  the  highest  and  best  kind.  He  has  gone  to  his 
grave.  He  has  left  us  a  noble  example  of  a  man  discharging  every 
duty  with  fidelity  ;  a  man  who  was  above  all  reproval,  going  to  his 
grave  mourned  by  the  whole  country.  "  The  memory  of  the  just  is 
blessed." 

Mr  Cortlandt  Parker  said  :  So  much  has  been  already  said  that 
is  applicable  to  the  deceased  that  I  hesitate  to  say  more.  I  had  a  very 
long  acquaintance  with  him,  never  interrupted  by  anything  unpleas 
ant  ;  always  finding  him,  although  of  different  sentiments  to  myself, 
friendly,  charitable,  kind.  Joel  Parker  goes,  leaving  behind  him  a 
useful  example  to  the  old  and  young.  No  one  will  differ  from  the 
sentiment  that  Joel  Parker  made  full  use  of  all  the  faculties  which  his 
Maker  gave  him.  That  is  a  high  praise.  He  did  not  astonish  with 
brilliancy.  His  were  planetary  and  not  comet-like  movements.  Pie 
did  nothing  hastily,  it  was  not  a  part  of  his  nature,  but  with  time  and 
thought.  When  he  did  act,  he  satisfied  the  judgment  of  all  right  think 
ing  men.  Sound  judgment  was  his  great  attribute.  What  is  some 
times  called  horse  sense,  strong  sense,  was  his,  the  result  of  patient  re 
flection.  I  appeal  to  his  brethren  in  the  land  if  this  were  not  so,  and 
I  am  sure  it  will  be  agreed  to  by  the  bar.  His  was  a  character  marked 
by  strong  sense,  sound  judgment  and  careful,  patient  thought  before 
action,  and  if  a  man  used  carefully  these  attributes  given  to  him  by 
God,  what  higher  praise  can  he  have,  especially  when  he  unites  with 
them  a  good, moral  character?  When  you  say  that  his  political  op 
ponents  never  ascribed  to  him  anything  that  was  reprehensible,  you 
say  enough.  He  goes  to  the  grave  with  the  universal  regret,  notwith 
standing  his  length  of  days,  of  all  who  knew  him.  Men  cannot  all  be 
great ;  not  all  can  climb  the  steps  and  carve  their  names  around  the 
summit ;  but  they  can  be  good,  love  their  kind  and  return  the  affection 
they  inspire.  Every  young  man,  when  he  starts  in  life,  can  hope  to 
come  to  as  noble  an  end  as  the  one  we  go  to  mourn  to-morrow. 

Mr.  W.  B.  Guild  said  :      It  sometimes  happens  upon   occasions  like 


JOEL  PARKER.  99 

this  that  he  who  would  speak  of  the  dead  so  as  not  to  offend  the 
living  must  come  with  carefully  prepared  words.  It  is  not  so  now. 
Respecting  the  character  and  the  public  and  private  life  of  Joel  Par 
ker,  all  who  knew  him  can  speak  without  hesitation  or  restraint. 
The  sadness  of  his  death  is  lightened  and  almost  lost  in  view  of  a  life 
such  as  was  his.  As  to  the  nobleness  of  that  life,  its  usefulness  to  this 
State  and  to  the  Nation,  it  is  not  necessary  to  speak  here  or  elsewhere 
in  New  Jersey.  For  many  years  past  no  man  in  this  State  has  been 
better  known.  His  name  has  been  as  a  household  word,  and  his 
deeds  are  historic.  The  uprightness  of  his  life  gave  to  him  years  ago 
the  appellation  of  "  Honest  Joel  Parker,"  and  being  really  such,  he 
had  the  confidence  and  affection  of  the  people  of  this  State  to  a  degree 
that  was  unequalled  by  any  other.  He  has  died  after  a  long  life  well 
spent.  Upon  his  native  State  he  has  left  an  enduring  impress  of  his 
own  high  character.  His  successful  life  beautifully  illustrates  the 
advantage  of  honest  living  and  acting,  whether  in  public  or  private 
life,  and  teaches  a  lesson  to  the  young  and  to  all  that  should  be  last 
ing.  His  name  and  his  memory  will  be  enrolled  among  those  that 
are  imperishable. 

Ex-Judge  McCarter  referred  to  the  grand  nature  of  the  deceased, 
and  to  his  lovable  qualities.  He  was,  he  said,  a  typical  American. 
He  loved  his  State,  and  so  lived  as  to  command  the  respect  of  all  men, 
even  of  his  enemies.  He  had  also  intense  love  for  his  country.  The 
speaker  referred  to  the  prominent  part  he  took  in  raising  the  Mon- 
mouth  Battle  Monument  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  men  who 
fell  there.  No  history  of  the  State,  he  said,  could  be  written  truth 
fully  which  did  not  commemorate  the  acts  of  Joel  Parker.  He  also 
spoke  of  the  letter  of  thanks  written  by  President  Lincoln  to  Gov 
ernor  Parker  for  his  services  during  the  war. 

Mr.  Samuel  Kalisch  and  Major  Carl  Lentz  followed.  The  latter 
spoke  in  eulogistic  terms  of  the  deceased  for  his  care  and  forethought 
for  the  men  away  from  home,  at  the  front,  in  the  wrar  of  the  Rebellion. 

Judge  Depue  then  put  the  resolutions  before  the  meeting  and 
they  were  formally  passed.  In  issuing  the  order  of  the  court 
that  the  resolutions  be  placed  on  the  minutes,  he  said  :  For  me  to 
speak  of  Joel  Parker  to  my  own  satisfaction  would  be  difficult.  I 
knew  him  from  the  time  I  came  to  the  Bar,  and  for  seven  years  have 
sat  as  his  associate  on  the  Bench.  My  relations  with  him  have  been  of 
the  closest  description.  I  saw  him  last  Friday  at  a  conference  of 
length.  He  had  precisely  those  qualities  which  have  been  attributed 
to  him  by  other  speakers.  He  came  alwrays  prepared.  He  produced 
more  manuscript  than  any  one  else  of  his  brethren  in  the  court,  show 
ing  his  great  desire  to  do  justice.  His  integrity  and  faithfulness  in 
the  performance  of  every  duty  were  unequalled.  He  was  connected 


100  MEMORIAL   OF 

with  the  affairs  of  the  State  from  the  time  he  was  a  young  man  and 
never  made  a  mistake,  or  if  he  did,  it  is  forgotten. 

A  notice  was  then  given  that  the  Bar  would  attend  the  funeral  at 
Freehold  to-day,  and  that  a  special  train  with  a  special  car  for  the 
members  of  the  Bar  would  leave  the  Central  Depot  at  9  o'clock  this 
morning.  Court  was  then  adjourned. 


PASSAIC. 

Judge  Dixon,  in  the  Passaic  Circuit  Court,  paid  a  high  tribute  to  the 
memory  of  the  late  ex-Governor  Parker,  and  ordered  the  following 
placed  in  the  minutes  : 

Hon.  Joel  Parker,  one  of  the  Associate  Justices  of  the  Supreme 
Court,  having  died  January  2d,  inst.,  and  his  funeral  being  appointed 
to  take  place  to-morro\v,  it  is,  on  this  5th  day  of  January,  A.  D.  1888, 
ordered  that  this  Court  stand  adjourned  until  Monday,  the  9th  inst., 
at  10  A.  M.,  in  testimony  of  the  distinguished  public  services  rendered 
by  him  in  both  the  executive  and  the  judicial  departments  of  the  State 
Government. 


UNION. 

Circuit  Court  of  the  County  of  Union,  held  at  the  Court  House,  in 
the  city  of  Elizabeth,  on  Tuesday,  the  third  day  of  January,  in  the 
year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighty-eight,  Mr. 
Justice  Bennett  VanSyckel  presiding. 

Prosecutor  Wilson  announced  the  death  of  Judge  Joel  Parker  and 
moved  that  the  Court  adjourn  for  the  day,  and  that  a  committee  be 
appointed  to  draft  resolutions  of  respect  to  his  memory.  The  Court 
granted  the  motion  and  appointed  Messrs.  R.  V.  Lindabury,  Joseph 
Alward  and  James  R.  English  a  committee. 

On  Thursday,  January  5th,  1888,  the  aforesaid  committee  reported 
to  the  Court  in  open  session  the  following  resolutions  : 

TO    THE    UNION     COUNTY    CIRCUIT     COURT: 

The  undersigned,  appointed  in  open  Court  to  present  resolutions  ex 
pressing  the  respect  of  the  Court  and  Bar  for  the  memory  of  Joel  Par 
ker,  and  their  sorrow  for  his  death,  report : 

With  sorrow  we  record  that  at  the  beginning  of  the  year  Justice 
Joel  Parker  died.  The  Courts  of  Union  County  have  adjourned  to 
show  their  respect  to  his  memory.  The  Bar  of  Union  County  unite 
with  the  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  holding  this  Circuit,  and  the 
other  members  of  the  Courts  of  this  county,  in  mourning  the  loss  of 


JOEL  PARKER.  101 

one  of  New  Jersey's  noblest  sons.  In  life  the  State  honored  him  as 
it  honored  no  other  of  its  citizens.  He  was  twice  elected  Governor 
of  the  State,  was  appointed  Attorney-General,  and  was  twice  appoint 
ed  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court.  The  fidelity  and  ability  with  which 
he  has  filled  every  position  in  life  to  which  he  has  been  called  is 
shown  by  the  universal  approval  of  his  acts.  The  true  greatness  of 
his  character  was  shown,  as  Governor  of  New  Jersey,  from  1863  to  1866. 
Amidst  the  commotion  and  bitter  strife  of  civil  war  he  was  eminently 
loyal  to  the  general  government  and  at  the  same  time  firm  to  protect 
the  interests  of  the  people  and  State  he  governed.  As  a  Justice  of  the 
Highest  Courts  of  this  State  he  was  respected  for  his  learning,  ability 
and  integrity.  In  every  position  he  was  courteous,  generous  and 
sagacious.  Added  to  these  traits  and  more  prominent  than  all  others, 
were  integrity  and  kindness.  To  these  characteristics  may  be  attrib 
uted  his  success  and  his  usefulness.  We  can  truly  say  we  love  to 
honor  his  name  and  imitate  his  virtues. 
Resolml,  That  we  unite  with  the  citizens  of  New  Jersey  in  mourning 

the  loss  of  this  excellent  man. 

JOSEPH  ALWARD, 

RICHARD  V.  LINDABURY, 
JAMES  R.  ENGLISH. 

In  presenting  the  resolutions  Mr.  Alward  said :  The  Court  will 
permit  me  to  add  :  It  is  pleasant  to  review  the  entire  life  of  Governor 
Parker.  As  a  member  of  the  bar  he  was  highly  esteemed  by  his 
brethren.  As  a  ruler  and  a  Judge  he  had  the  confidence  of  the  people. 
As  a  politican  he  was  respected.  He  has  left  a  memory  of  which  his 
friends  may  well  be  proud  and  which  his  family  may  esteem  a  rich  in- 
"heritance. 

Mr.  Lindabury  said  that  for  himself  and  the  Bar  of  the  County  at 
large  he  desired  to  add  a  word  to  the  formal  resolutions  of  the  Com 
mittee.  He  said :  Judge  Parker  was  held  in  high  esteem  in  this  coun 
ty,  not  only  by  his  professional  brethren,  but  also  by  the  people  of  all 
classes  and  conditions.  He  was  everywhere  regarded  as  a  rare  pub 
lic  servant.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  Chief  Executive  of  the  State, 
during  the  most  trying  times  through  which  we  have  ever  passed,  with 
an  ability  and  discretion  that  won  the  applause  of  the  whole  country 
and  reflected  honor  upon  his  State.  On  the  bench  of  the  Supreme 
Court  he  showed  the  same  qualities  of  good  sense  and  sound  judgment 
that  had  characterized  his  performance  of  the  duties  of  Chief  Execu 
tive.  Indeed,  as  Judge,  he  showed  a  most  marked  ability  for  discern 
ing  the  real  right  of  a  cause  and  for  disentangling  that  from  legal  ob 
scurity  and  technicality  and  making  it  the  judgment  of  the  Court.  It 
is  enough  to  say  that  by  the  learning  which  he  exhibited,  by  the 
soundness  of  his  judgment  and  by  the  integrity  of  his  character,  Judge 
Parker  proved  his  right  to  a  seat  upon  the  bench  of  the  highest  Court 
of  the  State.  But  his  most  striking  traits  were  his  simplicity  and  the 


102  MEMORIAL   OF 

homely  honesty  of  his  character.  It  was  for  these  he  was  most  be 
loved.  His  garments  were,  indeed,  without  a  stain,  and  his  life  was  a 
worthy  example  to  the  young  men  of  the  County  and  State,  and  his 
memory  a  precious  legacy  to  us  all. 

Upon  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Lindabury's  remarks,  Judge  VanSyckel 
said :  Judge  Parker  has,  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century,  occupied 
so  conspicuous  a  position  in  the  affairs  of  this  State  that  it  is  eminent 
ly  proper  this  tribute  should  be  paid  to  his  memory.  I  fully  concur 
in  everything  that  has  been  said  in  his  praise.  Judge  Parker  has  filled 
the  most  distinguished  positions  in  the  gift  of  the  people  of  his  State, 
and  he  has  discharged  the  duties  of  every  position  in  which  he  has 
been  placed  in  such  a  way  as  to  deserve  and  to  win  the  confidence  and 
esteem  of  the  people.  In  his  death  a  great  loss  has  fallen  upon  the 
State,  and  he  will  long  be  remembered  as  one  of  her  purest,  best  and 
most  distinguished  sons. 

Judge  YanSyckel  then  ordered  that  the  resolutions  be  entered  on 
the  minutes  of  the  Court  and  a  copy  sent  to  the  family  of  the  deceased 
and  to  the  public  press. 


CIVIC  AXD  MILITARY  SOCIETIES. 


RESOLUTIONS    OF  THE    JOEL  PARKER  ASSOCIATION  OF    NEWARK. 

WHEREAS  the  Great  Giver  of  life  and  death  has  seen  fit  in  His  inscru 
table  providence  to  remove  from  earth  our  patron  and  friend,  Judge 
Joel  Parker,  therefore  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we,  the  members  of  the  Joel  Parker  Association  of 
Newrark,  in  common  with  all  the  people  of  the  State,  deplore  the  death 
of  the  great  and  good  man,  whose  life  was  so  pure  and  useful,  and 
whose  integrity  of  purpose  made  him  a  shining  light  amongst  good 
men  and  great  amongst  the  greatest.  As  a  citizen,  Governor,  Judge,  or 
friend,  he  was  always  to  be  trusted,  and  to  those  who  knew  him,  his 
sentiments  or  principles  \vere  never  doubtful.  We  knew  him  well 
and  as  we  knew  him  wre  revered  him  ;  and  now  that  he  has  passed  to 
that  reward  vouchsafed  to  all  good  men  we  mingle  our  tears  with  those 
of  his  bereaved  family  at  his  sudden  demise. 

Resolved,  That  the  rooms  of  this  Association  be  appropriately  draped 
in  mourning,  that  the  Association  attend  the  obsequies  in  a  body,  and 


JOEL  PARKER.  103 

that  these  resolutions  be  published  in  the  daily  papers  of  this  city,  and 
an  engrossed  copy,  signed  by  the  officers,  be  sent  to  the  surviving 
family. 

(Signed)        WM.  H.  BROWN,  President. 

MICHAEL  T.  BARRETT,  Vice  President. 
MANNING  FORCE,  Recording  Secretary. 
NEWARK,  X.  J.,  January  2,  1888. 

A  copy  of  the  above  resolutions,  beautifully  engrossed  and  bound, 
was  presented  to  Mrs.  Parker  by  the  Association. 


SOCIETY    OF    THE    CINCINNATI. 

Extract  from  the  Proceedings  of  The  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  in  the 

State  of  New  Jersey,  at  their  Annual  Meeting  held  at  Princeton,  N. 

J.,  4th  July,  1888. 

The  Honorable  Joel  Parker  was  elected  an  Honorary  Member  of 
this  Society  on  the  4th  July,  1879.  He  was  born  near  Freehold,  Mon- 
mouth  County,  on  the  24th  November,  1816;  graduated  at  Princeton  in 
1839  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1842.  Elected  to  the  General  As 
sembly  in  1847 ;  was  Prosecutor  of  the  Pleas  of  Monmouth  County  1852 
to  1857,  and  Presidential  Elector  in  1860.  Was  Brigadier-General, 
Commanding  the  Monmouth  and  Ocean  Brigade  of  Militia  from  1857 
to  1861  and  in  1861  took  command  as  Major-General  of  the  Division, 
comprising  the  counties  of  Mercer,  Middlesex,  Monmouth,  Ocean  and 
Union.  In  1862  he  was  elected  Governor  of  the  State,  and  again  in  1871, 
being  the  only  one  ever  re-elected  Governor  under  the  Constitution  of 
1844.  In  1872  received  from  Rutgers  College  the  honorary  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Laws.  In  1880  was  appointed  Associate  Justice  of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  New  Jersey,  which  office  he  held  until  his  death,  on 
the  2nd  January,  1888,  while  on  a  visit  to  Philadelphia. 

Resolved,  That  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  in  the  State  of  New  Jer 
sey  learn  with  much  regret  of  the  death  of  the  Honorable  Joel  Parker. 
As  Governor  of  this  State  during  those  trying  times  when  even  our 
National  existence  was  imperilled  ;  and  later,  as  an  able  and  impartial 
Judge  on  the  Supreme  Bench  of  the  State,  his  sturdy  honesty  and  un 
flinching  patriotism  deservedly  earned  the  esteem  and  admiration  of 
all  his  countrymen,  and  especially  the  citizens  of  his  Native  State  and 
the  members  of  this  Society,  of  which  he  was  an  Honorary  Member. 
As  a  mark  of  respect  to  his  memory  it  is  ordered  that  this  resolution 
be  spread  upon  the  minutes. 

By  Order, 

[L.S.]  CLIFFORD  STANLEY  SIMS,  President. 

FRA'S  BARBER  OGDEN,  Secretary. 


104  MEMORIAL    OF 

ADDRESS     BY      B'VT.     MA.I.     GEN.     WILLIAM     SCUDDER    STRYKER,      ADJUTANT- 
GENERAL  OF  NEW  JERSEY. 

Mr.  President  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  : 

"  For  honors  and  for  weighty  service,  choose  those  whose  virtues 
command  the  world's  esteem  and  win  the  favor  of  heaven — the  manly 
men  who  are  the  bulwark  and  glory  of  the  Republic." 

This  strong  aphorism  from  some  unknown  writer  shall  furnish  the 
theme  for  the  very  brief  eulogistic  paper  which  I  shall  read  to  you  to 
day,  and  I  shall,  without  hesitation  and  in  strongest  verity,  apply  the 
precept  just  expressed  to  the  life  and  character  of  Joel  Parker.  Surely 
his  virtues  of  heart  and  soul  commanded  the  esteem  of  every  Jersey- 
man  and  the  high  honors  which  his  State  bestowed,  the  weighty  ser 
vice  he  with  great  efficiency  performed,  was  because  he  was  one  of 
those  manly  men  who  are  in  official  life  the  bulwark  of  a  country  in 
the  hours  of  war,  and  her  glory  in  the  days  of  peace. 

The  personal  character  of  Joel  Parker  may  well  be  summed  up  in 
those  strongly  descriptive  words — purity  of  heart,  honesty  of  purpose, 
rectitude  of  life.  Pope,  in  his  moral  essays,  depicts  the  man  in  every 
act  and  labour  of  his  eventful  life : — 

"  His  hand  unstain'd,  his  uncorrupt'd  heart 
His  comprehensive  head  all  interests  weigh'd." 

No  love  of  place  or  power,  tempting  howsoever  they  might  be,  could 
stain  his  hand  in  doing  anything  his  heart  did  not  fully  approve,  and 
slowly,  methodically,  with  a  brain  full  of  good,  honest  common  sense, 
he  weighed  and  weighed  again  every  interest  brought  to  his  notice  for 
judgment  or  for  executive  action.  Never  a  moment  in  his  life  when 
he  could  not  bring  to  any  subject  a  sound  and  a  correct  decision,  a 
proper  degree  of  independence,  a  keen  desire  and  a  patient  industry 
in  the  discovery  of  truth,  a  close  clinging  to  the  truth  and  to  right 
when  once  he  had  laid  hold  upon  them. 

In  official  and  in  judicial  life  he  was  ever  fearless  when  he  knew  lie 
was  right.  His  manner  of  life  was  simple,  yet  attractive,  and  while 
his  grand  physique,  his  commanding  presence,  was  impressive  with 
dignity,  yet  he  was  always  a  genial  man,  easy  of  approach  to  the  poor 
and  the  humble.  In  the  little  things  of  life  he  was  interested  as  well 
as  in  the  grave  problems  of  statecraft,  and  so  the  people  found  him 
ever  of  a  kindly  disposition,  always  beneficent,  a  prudent  counsellor,  a 
model  citizen.  His  nature  was  of  the  most  sympathetic  character,  and 
distress  and  want  always  appealed  with  certainty  to  his  means  and  to 
his  efficient  aid. 

Joel  Parker  was  a  true  patriot.  He  loved  New  Jersey.  He  was 
proud,  as  no  one  else  in  his  day  was  as  proud,  of  her  past  history  of 
great  and  learned  men,  of  her  soil,  rich  with  the  blood  of  our  fore 
fathers  spilled  on  her  great  battle-fields,  of  her  world-wide  reputation 
for  the  administration  of  justice.  Himself  a  close  student  of  history, 


JOEL  PARKER.  105 

lie  imbibed  lessons  from  the  records  of  the  past,  and  formed  such 
opinions  as  served  him  well  when  he  himself  was  called  upon  to  help 
to  make  the  history  of  his  native  State.  The  shaft  which  he,  more 
than  any  one  else,  helped  to  erect  on  the  heights  of  Monmouth  to 
commemorate  the  fame  of  the  men  who  fought  so  gallantly  on  that  hot 
Sabbath  in  June,  will  ever  remain  as  a  memorial  of  the  energy  and  the 
pure  patriotism  of  this  noble  man.  He  loved  his  country.  While  he 
often  differed  in  the  manner  in  which  public  affairs  were  conducted, 
and  could  himself  point  out,  as  appeared  to  him,  a  better,  a. safer  and 
a  more  honorable  way,  and  with  great  frankness  he  expressed  his 
views,  yet  he  all  the  while  kept  up  an  unfaltering  devotion  to  and  a 
confident  hope  of  the  unity  of  the  republic.  Through  all  the  throes  of 
civil  war  which  tried  his  brain,  his  heart  and  his  physical  strength,  he 
never  deviated  one  jot  from  a  firm  and  unswerving  fidelity  to  the 
principles  upon  which  the  government  had  been  founded,  and  on 
which  our  "  strength,  security  and  happiness  as  a  nation  "  should  be 
forever  conserved.  To  preserve  the  Union,  to  win  back  the  recalcitrant 
States,  to  restore  a  true  and  lasting  peace,  was  end  enough  for  him ; 
and  questions  of  policy  were  quickly  subordinated  to  his  intense  de 
sire  to  bring  an  end  to  the  war. 

Governor  Parker  was  a  pure  statesman.  He  was  strong  with  his 
party,  and  his  mind  was  strongly  imbued  with  the  tenets  of  his  party. 
He  had  been  a  close  student  and  observer  of  political  conflicts,  and 
from  his  youth  he  had  labored  with  zeal  for  the  success  of  doctrines 
which  he  believed  would  give  us  the  best  system  of  National  Govern 
ment.  Keeping  well  before  him  the  future  good  of  his  country,  he  was 
accustomed  to  lead  that  party  in  his  State  wherever  and  whenever  he 
could  in  any  way  support  its  principles  or  advance  its  interests.  He 
broke  no  promise  which  he  ever  made  to  those  associated  with  him  in 
political  life.  He  lost  no  friend  whom  he  had  ever  drawn  to  him  by 
party  ties  as  well  as  those  of  friendship.  He  was  faithful  to  every  offi 
cial  trust  which  his  countrymen  had  given  him  to  perform.  His  heart 
and  his  soul  were  true  to  everything  which  he  wrote  or  which  he 
spoke,  and  the  people  learned  to  love  and  confide  in  him.  He  was 
praised  by  all,  even  those  who  did  not  join  him  in  his  party  affili 
ations.  Surely  if  Edmund  Burke  in  his  reflections  on  what  constitutes 
a  statesman,  is  correct  when  he  says  :  "A  disposition  to  preserve  and 
an  ability  to  improve,  taken  together  would  be  my  standard  of  a  states 
man,"  then  Joel  Parker  must  be  placed  in  the  front  rank  of  those  who 
merit  this  proud  title.  Through  all  the  long  years  of  bitter  civil  strife 
he  had  the  strong,  unyielding  desire  to  preserve  the  Union  as  given  to 
us  by  our  fathers,  and  in  that  critical  period  he  evinced  the  great  wis 
dom  and  ready  ability  to  plan  and  labour  and  perfect  measures  to  pre 
serve  that  Union.  These  qualifications,  as  Burke  says,  if  "taken  to 
gether,"  constituted  him  a  statesman. 

New  Jersey  and  Jerseymen  are  proud  of  his  pure  name,  they  are 


106  MEMORIAL    OF 

proud  of  his  sincere  patriotism,  they  are  proud  of  his  good  work  in 
statesmanship,  and  through  all  the  history  of  the  Commonwealth  his 
name  will  go  down  the  ages  as  one  who  served  his  God  and  country 
well. 


MILITARY    ORDER    OF    THE    LOYAL    LEGION    OF    THE    UNITED 

STATES. 


HEAD-QUARTERS  COMMANDERY  OF  THE  STATE  or  PENNSYLVANIA,) 

PHILADELPHIA,  March  6,  1888.      / 


PHILADELPHIA,  March  6,  1888. 
Read  at  stated  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Officers,  March  5,  1888. 

JOEL  PARKER. — 

Elected  October  20,  1886.    Class  3.    Insignia  4970. 

Born  November  24,  1816,  near  Freehold,  Monmouth  county,  X.  J. 

Died  January  2,  1888,  at  Philadelphia,  Pa, 

His  parents  were  natives  of  the  county  of  Monmouth.  His  mother 
was  a  daughter  of  Joseph  Coward,  a  soldier  of  the  Revolution  who 
had  served  in  the  Continental  Line  throughout  that  war.  His  father, 
Charles  Parker,  came  of  a  family  who  were  among  the  first  settlers  of 
Monmouth  county,  and  was  himself  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  his 
county  and  State. 

Joel  Parker  removed  with  his  father  to  Trenton  in  1821,  where  he 
received  his  primary  education ;  afterwards  attended  the  Lawrence- 
ville  High  School ;  entered  Princeton  College  ;  graduated  in  1839  and 
commenced  the  study  of  law  at  Trenton  with  Hon.  Henry  W.  Green, 
afterwards  Chief-Justice  and  Chancellor.  Was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
1842,  and  located  at  Freehold,  where  he  continued  to  reside  until  his 
death. 

In  1843  he  married  Maria  M.,  eldest  daughter  of  Samuel  R.  Gum- 
mere. 

In  1847  was  elected  to  the  General  Assembly,  and,  although  the 
youngest  member  of  that  body,  took  a  leading  part, 

Served  as  Prosecutor  of  the  Pleas  of  Monmouth  county  from  October 
28,  1852,  to  October  28,  1857. 

In  1860  was  elected  a  Presidential  Elector,  and  cast  his  vote  in  the 
Electoral  College  for  Stephen  A.  Douglas  for  President. 

He  took  a  great  interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  militia,  and  from  1857 
to  1861  was  Brigadier-General  commanding  the  Monmouth  and  Ocean 
Brigade  of  Militia.  In  1861  he  took  command,  as  Major-General,  of 
the  Division  of  the  New  Jersey  Militia  in  the  counties  of  Mercer, 
Middlesex,  Monmouth,  Ocean  and  Union.  In  that  position  he  pro 
moted  volunteering  at  the  opening  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  and 
aided  largely  by  his  energy  and  influence  in  securing  regiments  of 
volunteers  for  the  Union  Armv. 


JOEL  PARKER.  107 

In  1862  he  was  elected  Governor  of  New  Jersey  by  a  very  large  ma 
jority  of  his  fellow-citizens.  His  administration  of  that  high  office 
extended  to  the  clo,-e  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  and  was  distin 
guished  for  its  efficiency  in  aiding  to  maintain  the  cause  of  the  Union 
by  promoting  volunteering  after  many  of  the  States  had  submitted  to 
conscription,  and  for  the  signal  ability  displayed  in  the  management 
of  the  civil  affairs  of  his  State. 

Upon  the  invasion  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  by  the  Confederate 
Army  under  General  Lee,  in  1863,  he,  at  a  critical  moment,  supplied 
several  regiments  on  the  appeal  of  Governor  Curtin.  His  alacrity  and 
energy  then  displayed  called  forth  from  the  people  of  Pennsylvania 
their  warmest  gratitude  and  praise. 

In  1871  he  was  again  elected  Governor,  and  after  the  expiration  of 
his  second  term  of  that  office  he  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Freehold. 

Was  for  a  short  time  Attorney-General  of  the  State. 
In  1880  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme  Court 
of  Xew  Jersey,  which  office  he  held  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

During  his  long  and  honorable  career  Governor  Parker  always 
manifested  a  firm  determination  to  do  his  whole  duty  fearlessly  and 
conscientiously.  Occupying  a  high  official  station  during  the  most 
perilous  period  of  our  Nation's  history,  he  was  always  found  equal  to 
every  emergency. 

Governor  Parker  was  of  a  noble  mould  and  of  commanding  pres 
ence  ;  of  a  kindly  and  generous  disposition  ;  an  affectionate  father 
and  husband ;  a  faithful  friend ;  "  a  loyal,  just  and  upright  gentleman." 

S.  M.  DICKINSON, 

Acting  Paymaster  U.  S.  Navy. 
W.  J.  SEWELL, 

Brevet  Major-General  U.  S.  Yols. 
WILLIAM  S.  STRYKER, 

Brevet  Lieut.-Colonel  U.  S.  Vols. 

By  command  of  Committee. 

Brevet  Major-General  D.  McM.  GREGG,  U.  S.  V., 

Commander. 
JOHN  P.  NICHOLSON, 

Brevet  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lr.  S.  V., 

Recorder. 


NEW    JERSEY    HISTORICAL    SOCIETY. 

At  the  forty-third  annual  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  Historical  So 
ciety  held  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  January  24,  1888,  the  following  memorial 
of  Judge  Parker  was  presented  : 

On  the  second  day  of  this  year,  1888,  departed  this  life,  suddenly  at 
Philadelphia,  at  the  age  of  seventy-one,  Hon.  Joel  Parker.  He  was 


108  MEMORIAL    OF 

born  in  Monmouth  county,  Nov.  24,  1816,  the  son  of  Charles  and 
Sarah  S.  (Coward)  Parker,  but  spent  the  most  of  his  early  years  in 
Trenton,  where  he  studied  law.  He  graduated  at  Princeton  in  1839. 
After  his  course  of  study  in  the  law,  and  his  admission  to  the  Bar,  he 
removed  to  Freehold.  In  1847,  when  he  was  thirty  years  of  age,  he 
was  sent  to  the  Assembly.  He  was  soon  after  made  Prosecu 
tor  of  the  Pleas  for  Monmouth.  In  1862  he  was  elected  Gov 
ernor,  and  again  elected  in  1871.  He  was  distinguished  for  learning, 
great  executive  ability,  and  integrity  of  character.  In  1875  he  was 
appointed  Attorney-General  of  the  State.  As  War  Governor  he 
worthily  sustained  the  National  Government  by  placing  all  the 
resources  of  the  State  at  its  disposal,  and  guarded  the  interests  of  New 
Jersey  men  at  home  and  in  the  field.  In  1880  he  was  appointed  Jus 
tice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  again  appointed  in  1887,  which  position 
he  held  to  the  time  of  his  death.  His  breadth  of  mind,  judicial 
impartiality,  his  unswerving  honesty  of  purpose,  as  well  as  the  clear 
ness  of  his  judgment,  made  him  what  lie  was,  a  model  executive,  a 
just  Judge,  and  a  trusted  citizen.  Jerseymen  instinctively  turned  to 
him,  as  his  party  did,  in  every  time  of  stress  and  trouble.  He  became 
a  member  of  the  Historical  Society  in  May,  1859,  and  was  a  member 
of  its  Executive  Committee  continuously  for  seventeen  years.  His 
public  engagements  were  such  that  he  was  seldom  present  at  its 
meetings  ;  but  the  Society  relied  none  the  less  upon  his  efficient  aid 
and  counsel  when  the  progress  of  its  affairs  needed  his  co-operation. 
He  was  an  efficient  member  of  the  distinguished  Committee  of  the 
Society  which  secured  the  publication,  by  the  State,  under  the  auspices 
of  the  Historical  Society,  of  the  Documents  relating  to  the  Colonial 
History  of  New  Jersey,  now  constituting  the  series  of  volumes  of  the 
New  Jersev  Archives. 


The  Department  of  New  Jersey,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  in 
annual  Encampment  assembled,  desirous  of  placing  on  record  their 
tribute  to  the  memory  of  one  of  New  Jersey's  distinguished  sons, 
adopt  the  following  minute  : 

That  in  the  death  of  Joel  Parker,  the  War  Governor  of  New  Jersey 
this  State  has  met  with  an  almost  irreparable  loss.  As  old  soldiers  and 
as  Grand  Army  comrades,  we  will  cherish  his  memory,  and  hold  in 
grateful  recollection  his  services  to  the  State,  the  General  Govern 
ment  and  New  Jersey's  troops.  Unselfish,  patriotic  and  devoted  to 
the  maintenance  of  the  Union,  no  labors  were  too  arduous  and  no 
sacrifices  too  great  for  him,  if  thereby  the  comfort  of  New  Jersey 
soldiers  could  be  increased.  Called  to  the  chief  executive  office  during 


JOEL  PARKER.  109 

a  time  that  tried  every  man  of  whatever  sort  he  was,  Joel  Parker  pass 
ed  through  unscathed  and  left  an  example  that  all  might  do  well  to 
follow.  That  this  minute  be  entered  in  full  upon  the  records  of  this 
Encampment  and  that  the  Assistant  Adjutant-General  forward  a  copy 
to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

Passed  at  the  twenty-first  annual  Encampment,  Department  of  New 
Jersey,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  held  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  February 
9th,  1888.  H.  L.  HARTSHORN, 

Assistant  Adjutant-General. 


AARON  WILKES  POST,  U.   A.   R. 

At  a  regular  meeting  of  Aaron  Wilkes  Post,  No.  23,  G.  A.  R.,  Depart 
ment  of  New  Jersey,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted  : 

WHEREAS,  The  members  of  Aaron  Wilkes  Post,  No.  23,  G.  A.  R.,  De 
partment  of  New  Jersey,  have  learned  with  painful  regrets  of  the 
sudden  death  of  Hon.  Joel  Parker,  New  Jersey's  renowned  War 
Governor,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  in  his  death  the  ex-soldiers  of  this  State  and  the  coun 
try  at  large  have  lost  a  firm  friend,  who  stood  by  them  in  the  days  of 
our  country's  greatest  trial ;  one  whose  sublime  patriotism  shone  like 
a  bright  beacon  light  in  the  tempestuous  storms  that  threatened  the 
safety  of  our  Union. 

Resolved,  That  as  a  patriot,  a  faithful  official,  an  upright  Judge,  and 
in  all  that  goes  to  make  an  exemplary  citizen,  Joel  Parker  had  no 
superior  within  the  limits  of  this,  and  few  equals  in  other  States. 

Resolved,  That  we  shall  ever  cherish  his  memory  and  his  noble  con 
duct  towards  us  and  our  comrades,  and  shall  try  to  teach  coming 
generations  to  emulate  his  example  and  to  profit  by  his  noble  life  of 
patriotism  and  devotion  to  flag  and  country. 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  to  the  widow  and  children  of  the  late  ex- 
Governor  our  sincere  sympathy  at  the  sudden  loss  of  so  noble  and 
kind  a  husband  and  father. 

Resolved,  That  the  flag  of  this  Post  be  draped  in  mourning  for  the 
space  of  thirty  days ;  that  these  resolutions'be  spread  in  full  upon  a 
memorial  page  of  our  minutes  ;  that  a  copy  be  sent  to  the  family  of  our 
departed  friend,  and  that  they  be  given  to  the  press  for  publication. 

JOHN  P.  BEACH,   ") 
JOHX  HAZLETT,      V  Committee. 
TRENTON,  N.  J.,  Jan.  6,  1883.  E.  C.  STAHL,          J 


HO  MEMORIAL  OF 


COMMISSIONERS  OF    ADJUSTMENT  OF  TAXES. 


CAMDEX,  X.  J.,  January  4,  1888. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Commissioners  held  this  day,  Commissioner 
Hood  in  an  appropriate  and  feeling  manner  announced  the  death  of 
Hon.  Joel  Parker,  when  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were 
unanimously  adopted  : 
WHEREAS,  This  Commission  have  learned  with  deep  sorrow,  of  the 

sudden  death  of  the  Hon.  Joel  Parker,  one  of  the  Justices  of  the 

Supreme  Court ;  and  whereas,  said  Commissioners  were  appointed 

by  the  said  lamented  Judge  ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  deeply  sympathize  with  the  family  of  the  deceased 
ex-Governor  and  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  their  deep  affliction, 
and  sincerely  deplore  the  great  loss  which  they,  in  common  with  the 
whole  people  of  New  Jersey,  have  sustained  in  his  sudden  death. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  this  preamble  and  resolutions  be  engrossed 
and  forwarded  by  our  Clerk  to  the  family  of  the  deceased. 

JOHN  HOOD,  Pres't,  ^ 
CHARLES  A.  BUTTS,  >  Commissioners. 
A  true  copy,  CHARLES  B.  COLES,  j 

W.  H.  BUTTS,  Clerk. 


GRAND  LODGE,    FREE  AND  ACCEPTED  MASONS  OF    NEW    JERSEY. 

At  the  annual  communication  of  the  Grand  Lodge,  F.  and  A.  M.  of 
New  Jersey,  held  in  the  city  of  Trenton,  January  25,  1888,  M.  W. 
Robert  M.  Moore,  Grand  Master,  in  his  address  to  the  brethren  made 
the  following  reference  to  the  death  of  ex-Governor  Parker : 

Brother  Joel  Parker  died  January  2d,  1888.  He  was  born  in  1816, 
made  a  Mason  in  Olive  Branch  Lodge  in  April,  1857.  Served  as  one  of 
its  Stewards  in  1875,  1876,  1877.  Served  his  State  as  Major-General, 
Attorney-General,  and  as  Governor,  to  which  high  office  he  was  twice 
elected — a  rare  honor  in  New  Jersey — and  at  the  time  of  his  death  was 
one  of  the  Honorable  Justices  of  our  Supreme  Court.  He  was  repeat 
edly  received  in  this  Grand  Lodge,  his  Brethren  always  delighting  to 
do  him  honor  when  they  had  the  opportunity.  No  words  of  mine  can 
add  to  the  deathless  fame  of  one  who  lived  such  a  noble,  useful,  un 
spotted  and  Masonic  life  as  did  he,  and  who  was  so  universally  be 
loved  for  his  patriotism,  statesmanship  and  integrity.  He  loved 
Masonry,  and  was  an  honor  to  the  fraternity. 


JOEL  PARKER.  Ill 

AMERICAN  WHIG  SOCIETY,    PRINCETON  COLLEGE. 

HALL  OF  THE  AMERICAN  WHIG  SOCIETY,  \ 
January  13,  1888.     / 

WHEREAS,  It  has  pleased  God  in  His  all- wise  providence  to  remove 
from  the  scene  of  his  earthly  activity  one  who  as  Governor  of  New 
Jersey  in  the  Nation's  most  trying  hours  displayed  exceptional 
ability  and  unswerving  fidelity  to  the  national  cause  ;  and  who  on 
the  Supreme  Bench  was  distinguished  for  the  soundness  of  his 
decisions ; 

WHEREAS,  We  the  American  Whig  Society,   of  which   the  late  ex- 
Governor  Joel  Parker  of  the  class  of  '39  was  an  honored  member, 
are  deeply  sensible  of  our  loss  ;  therefore,  be  it 
Resolved,  That  we  as  a  Society  do  give  this  testimony  of  our  regard 

and  appreciation  of  his  high  character  and  services,  and 

Resolved,  That  we  extend  our  heartfelt  sympathy  to  his  bereaved 
family,  and 

Resohed,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  forwarded  to  his  family, 
and  that  they  be  published  in  the  Nassau  Literary  Magazine,  the 
Princetonian,  and  the  Princeton  Press. 

R.  P.  SHICK,  '90, 

A.  R.  GULICK,  '89, 

E.  T.  RICHARDSON,  '88,  Chairman. 


MEETING    AT    ASBURY    PARK. 

On  the  evening  of  Decoration  Day,  May  30th,  1888,  a  large  and 
enthusiastic  audience  gathered  in  Educational  Hall,  Asbury  Park,  to 
do  honor  to  the  memory  of  Judge  Parker,  the  renowned  War  Gover 
nor  of  Xew  Jersey.  The  meeting  was  inaugurated  by  the  Board  of 
Trade,  and  warmly  seconded  by  the  G.  A.  R.,  for  the  purpose  of  in 
creasing  interest  in  the  erection  of  a  statue  in  Asbury  Park  in  memory 
of  the  deceased  Governor. 

The  hall  was  decorated  with  colors,  and  on  an  easel  in  front  of  the 
platform  was  a  well  executed  portrait  of  the  late  Judge.  The  stage 
was  occupied  by  Wm.  H.  Vredenburgh,  Esq.,  Revs.  Maddock,  Colby, 
Chandler  and  Goodno,  Gen.  T.  G.  Morehead,  and  the  singers  and 
Members  of  the  Committee. 

Neptune  Cornet  Band  gave  an  opening  selection.  Mr.  E.  G.  Harri 
son,  chairman  of  the  committee,  gave  a  brief  review  of  the  movement, 
and  presented  Wm.  H.  Vredenburgh,  Esq.,  as  the  chairman  of  the  meet 
ing,  who  spoke  of  his  friendship  with  the  War  Governor,  of  his 
important  services  in  the  Rebellion,  and  his  sturdy  loyalty  exhibited 


112  MEMORIAL   OF 

in  efforts  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  He  was  glad  to  see  such 
a  movement  in  the  most  progressive  town  in  the  county. 

Prayer  was  offered  by  Rev.  F.  C.  Colby,  followed  by  the  singing  of 
"  America,"  by  a  sextette,  Mr.  A.  C.  Atkins,  leader.  Three  recitations 
were  given  by  daughters  of  soldiers,  and  a  song  was  finely  rendered 
by  the  Glee  Club. 

Mr.  Harrison  read  a  number  of  letters  from  distinguished  men  of 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  wrarmly  seconding  the  project,  and 
speaking  highly  of  the  social  and  patriotic  standing  of  Gov.  Parker. 
These  letters  were  from  Gov.  Beaver  and  Gen.  Davis,  of  Pennsylvania, 
Senators,  Sewell,  McPherson  and  Blodgett,  Hon.  H.  M.  Nevius,  Gov. 
Green,  Hon.  John  Kean,  Ex.-Gov.  Leon  Abbett,  Gen.  Clinton  B.  Fisk, 
Judge  Scudder,  Ex- Judge  John  L.  Wheeler,  Hon.  T.  G.  Chattle,  Major 
J.  S.  Yard  and  Hon.  Win.  Walter  Phelps. 

Dr.  Chandler  was  then  introduced.  In  his  brief  address  he  spoke 
of  the  high  social  and  Christian  character  of  Joel  Parker,  and  his  ser 
vice  to  the  army  ;  he  was  always  ready,  sympathetic  and  prompt  in 
emergencies.  He  referred  to  his  honorable  career,  his  unswerving 
honesty,  earning  for  him  the  soubriquet  "  Honest  Joel  Parker."  His 
war  record  was  based  on  the  motto,  the  nation  must  and  shall  be 
maintained ;  the  Union  should  be  the  condition  of  peace.  He  was 
foremost  in  organizing  the  State  Militia,  and  notably,  New  Jersey  was 
the  only  State  where  no  draft  was  levied  by  United  States  officers. 
He  closed  with  incidents  and  a  beautiful  tribute  to  the  memory  of 
Mr.  Parker. 

Mr.  Henry  G.  Clayton  spoke  of  Mr.  Parker  in  his  profession ;  his 
ability  and  uprightness.  He  filled  well  the  positions  he  occupied,  and 
was  firm  in  times  of  peril. 

Rev.  G.  C.  Maddock  knew  Governor  Parker  well,  and  knew  him  but 
to  love  him.  He  was  one  of  the  tall,  strong  men  of  the  State.  Though 
but  a  small  state,  in  the  war  it  was  the  peer  of  any  in  the  Union. 

Mr.  G.  W.  Patterson  spoke  briefly  of  Mr.  Parker  as  a  statesman  and 
War  Governor. 

Mr.  John  A.  Githens  announced  the  committees  selected  for  the 
several  townships,  which  when  completed  would  be  published. 

A  song,  "Our  Loyal,  Tried  and  True,"  was  given  by  Harry  Redway 
and  chorus.  A  selection  by  the  band  and  a  song,  "  We  deck  their 
graves  alike  to-day,"  closed  the  lengthy  exercises. 

This  assembly  of  citizens  of  his  native  county  was  an  eloquent 
tribute  to  a  man,  who,  called  to  prominent  positions  in  a  time  of  un 
usual  trial,  and  living  in  the  eye  of  the  public  for  many  years,  by  his 
ability,  sagacity,  integrity  and  patriotism  secured  the  approbation  of 
all  men,  and  has  passed  from  the  stage  of  earthly  activity,  leaving  an 
untarnished  fame. 


JOEL  PARKER.  113 

THE  PRESS. 


Tributes  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  Gov.  Parker  were  published 
by  the  press  generally  in  this  and  other  States.  To  copy  them  all  or 
at  length  would  large^  increase  the  size  of  this  volume.  We  select 
extracts  from  a  few  of  them  showing  the  general  tenor  of  these  ex 
pressions  : 

True  American,  Dem. 

No  man  ever  lived  in  the  State  of  New  Jersey  who  was  more  widely 
known  and  more  generally  respected  than  Joel  Parker.  *  *  No 
duty  was  ever  undertaken  by  him  to  which  he  did  not  give  the  full 
measure  of  his  abilities.  *  *  His  death  closes  a  career  which  is  un 
tarnished  by  a  single  doubtful  act,  but  which  shines  with  an  honor 

all  its  own, 

State  Gazette,  Rep. 

Sincere  grief  will  be  felt  by  the  whole  people  of  New  Jersey  at  the 
sudden  death  of  the  good  old  Jersey  patriot,  Joel  Parker.  *  *  No 
man  in  his  generation  has  been  such  a  popular  favorite  with  Jersey- 
men.  '  The  secret  of  this  strong  and  enduring  popular  regard 
for  Joel  Parker  was  an  abiding  faith  in  his  honesty  and  patriotism. 
*  They  regarded  him  as  what  he  appeared — a  bluff,  genial,  frank, 
honest  man,  of  hard  sense,  loving  and  honoring  his  State,  a  true  Jer 
sey  patriot. 

Newark  Press  Register,  Rep. 

His  simple  and  unaffected  manners,  his  hearty  good  nature  and  un 
questioned  honesty  disarmed  partisanship  and  won  men's  sympathies. 
The  death  of  this  eminent  and  well  beloved  son  of  New  Jersey  is  a 
loss  to  the  State,  and  will  be  mourned  by  every  Jerseyman  who  values 
the  highest  qualities  of  manhood  in  a  public  servant,  and  who  saw 
these  qualities  embodied  in  Joel  Parker. 

Newark  Journal,  Dem. 

The  name  of  Joel  Parker  was  honored  by  the  whole  country  and  by 
all  men,  and  here  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  was  known  best,  he  was 
honored  and  loved  most.  *  *  Such  men  are  few.  New  Jersey  has 
long  been  proud  of  this  one,  and  mourns  him  as  no  other  community 
can. 

Trenton  Times,  Ind. 

His  eminent1  public  services  and  his  pure  patriotism  and  integrity 
were  thoroughly  recognized.  *  *  He  leaves  behind  him  a  memory 
that  is  precious  to  this  commonwealth. 

Trenton  Emporium,  Dem. 

In  the  death  of  honest  Joel  Parker  passes  away  one  of  the  noblest, 
and  large-hearted  representative  Jerseymen.  He  was  a  man  of  the 


114  MEMORIAL   OF 

people  in  every  respect.    *    *    His  loyalty  was  undoubted  and  his 

patriotism  fervent. 

Philadelphia  Record. 

He  will  long  be  remembered,  not  only  as  a  leader  in  his  political 
party  at  a  time  when  patriotism  and  firmness  of  character  wrere  need 
ed,  but  also  as  a  jurist  learned  in  the  law  and  of  recognized  integrity. 
Americans  of  the  fearless  old  type  of  manhood  are  fast  passing  away, 
but  there  is  a  hope  that  their  virtues  will  still  be  emulated,  and  that 
the  example  they  leave  will  not  be  lost  on  those  who  come  after  them. 
Philadelphia  Ledger^  Ind. 

The  record  of  Joel  Parker  as  Governor  of  New  Jersey  in  those  try 
ing  years  [of  the  war]  was  one  of  which  any  man  might  well  be  proud. 
*  *  His  manners  were  very  attractive,  although  dignified,  and  while 
his  ability  and  honesty  brought  him  the  respect,  his  benevolence  and 
kindly  disposition  won  him  the  love  of  all  classes  of  men. 
New  York  World,  Dem. 

In  the  death  of  Joel  Parker  the  Democracy  of  the  United  States 
loses  a  man  who  was  more  than  once  considered  within  easy  reach  of 
its  nomination  for  the  Presidency.  He  was  one  of  the  Democratic 
War  Governors  and  filled  many  public  trusts  with  conspicuous  fidelity 

and  ability. 

New  York  Press,  Rep. 

In  every  position  which  Joel  Parker  filled  he  did  his  duty  honestlj- 

and  fearlessly. 

Philadelphia  Press,  Rep. 

He  was  a  man  of  the  highest  character,  and  his  whole  career,  ex 
tending  over  a  period  of  more  than  forty  years,  reflects  the  greatest 
credit  upon  his  native  State. 

Mount  Holly  News,  Ind. 

In  the  death  of  Hon.  Joel  Parker  the  State  loses  one  of  her  most  il 
lustrious  sons.  He  was  a  good  citizen  in  every  respect  and  one  whose 
kindly  face  will  be  greatly  missed. 

Newark  Evening  News,  Ind. 

It  is  not  detracting  the  virtues  or  the  powers  of  the  prominent  sons 
of  New  Jersey  who  survive  him,  to  say  that  in  the  death  of  Joel  Par 
ker  the  State  is  bereft  of  her  foremost  citizen  ;  foremost  in  the  sense 
that  his  fame  was  wider  and  his  popularity  greater  than  any  of  his 
notable  contemporaries.  *  *  A  character  of  symmetry  rounded  out 
with  qualities  that  command  recognition;  simple  and  unaffected  in 
manners,  genial,  with  a  close  sympathy  for  his  fellow  man ;  invincible 
integrity  ;  an  untiring  wrorker,  close  student  and  a  patriot — these  were 
the  dominating  qualities  in  his  composition.  But  other  mental  and 
moral  charms  added  to  his  character  that  endeared  him  to  all. 
Newark  Daily  Advertiser,  Rep. 

He  had  reached  his  three-score  years  and  ten  in  November,  1880. 


JOEL  PARKER.  115 

But  his  life  had  been  so  filled  with  public  activities  that  its  record 
now  reads  like  that  of  a  much  longer  period.  *  *  And  now  that  he 
is  dead,  Governors,  Legislators  and  citizens  may  well  do  him  honor 
and  recall  with  gratitude  his  useful  career.  Joel  Parker  was  a  Dem 
ocrat,  but  not  a  partisan.  His  breadth  of  mind,  judicial  impartiality 
and  unswerving  honesty  of  purpose,  as  well  as  his  clearness  of  judg 
ment,  made  him  what  he  was — a  model  Executive,  a  just  Judge  and  a 
trusted  citizen.  Jerseymen  instinctively  turned  to  him,  as  his  party 
habitually  did,  in  every  time  of  public  stress  and  trouble. 

Camden  Democrat. 

In  the  death  of  Judge  Joel  Parker  Mew  Jersey  loses  an  eminent 
jurist,  an  illustrious  citizen  and  an  honest  man.  His  record  in  every 
position  which  he  was  called  upon  to  fill  by  the  people,  was  one  which 
reflected  high  honor  upon  himself  and  testified  to  the  fact  that  confi 
dence  in  his  worth  and  merits  had  never  been  misplaced.  His  career, 
whether  as  member  of  the  State  Legislature,  Prosecuting  Attorney  of 
Monmouth  County,  Governor  of  the  State,  Attorney-General,  or  Asso 
ciate  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  was  ever  marked  by  ability  and 
talent  of  the  highest  order,  while  every  action  bore  upon  it  the  impress 
of  integrity  of  character  and  honesty  of  purpose.  His  example  was 
one  which  the  young  men  of  our  State  would  do  well  to  follow  and 
imitate.  Devoted  to  this  State,  he  was  a  patriot  in  the  strictest  sense 
of  the  word,  and  during  the  rebellion  his  heart  and  soul  went  out  in 
strong  and  mighty  endeavor  to  aid  in  the  preservation  of  the  L'nioii 

and  the  Republic. 

Monmouth  Inquirer,  Rep. 

The  people  of  New  Jersey  honored  themselves  by  honoring  him, 
and  during  his  long  and  active  life  of  three  score  years  and  ten,  no 
one  can  point  to  a  single  instance  where  his  integrity  could  be  ques 
tioned  or  his  good  name  impeached. 

As  War  Governor,  as  Legislator,  as  Attorney-General,  or  Justice  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  as  connected  with  nearly  every  organization  in 
our  historic  town,  he  was  actuated  by  the  same  carefulness  and  spot 
less  integrity  which  won  for  him  the  love  and  respect  of  his  fellow  men. 

As  War  Governor  we  all  know  how  gallantly  Governor  Parker,  with 
unswerving  loyalty,  supported  the  immortal  Lincoln  by  sending 
regiment  after  regiment  to  the  front  from  NewT  Jersey,  and  how  he 
actively  and  personally  assisted  in  seeing  that  the  troops  from  New 
Jersey  in  the  field  had  the  same  care  as  those  from  other  States.  It 
is  a  matter  of  historic  record  how  quickly  he  succored  the  State  of 
Pennsylvania  when  Lee's  victorious  army  was  threatening  Philadel 
phia,  Baltimore  and  Washington  and  thus  earned  the  gratitude  of  the 
Nation. 

The  beautiful  monument  commemorating  the  Battle  of  Monmouth 
was  one  of  his  most  cherished  projects  and  no  man  was  prouder  than 
he  when  the  present  handsome  shaft  was  erected  to  chronicle  the 


116  MEMORIAL   OF 

gallantry  of  the  men  of  the  Revolution.  Particularly  fond  of  histori 
cal  research  he  even  had  each  spot  of  the  battlefield  located.  Contrib 
uting  both  time  and  money  towards  the  erection  of  the  shaft,  it  now 
stands  as  an  enduring  monument  mostly  to  his  indefatigable  and  un 
selfish  labor. 

Judge  Parker  will  long  be  remembered  in  Monmouth  County  and 
the  State  of  Xew  Jersey.  Though  death  for  the  present  separates  us, 
yet,  in  the  heart  of  every  Jerseyman  will  his  good  deeds  be  enshrined 
and  his  pure  life  be  worthy  of  emulation  by  all. 

The  comments  of  the  Monmouth  Democrat  are  embodied  in  the  re 
marks  at  the  conclusion  of  the  biographical  sketch  printed  in  the 
opaning  of  this  volume. 

Newark  Call,  Ind. 

The  death  of  Joel  Parker  has  been  the  occasion  of  innumerable  trib 
utes  to  the  man  and  his  deeds.  There  was  much  to  praise  in  all  he 
did  as  a  public  servant ;  his  record  in  every  station  he  was  called  upon 
to  fill  was  unimpeachable;  his  private  'character  was  as  pure  and 
noble  as  his  public  acts  were  worthy  and  patriotic,  but  beyond  these 
claims  to  respect  and  admiration  was  an  inborn  characteristic,  vouch 
safed  to  few,  yet  cultivated  by  so  many  hypocrites,  that  its  manifesta 
tion  in  a  public  man,  without  affectation,  is  to  be  marked  and  chron 
icled  as  a  phenomenon.  We  refer  to  the  unconscious  but  pervading 
democracy  of  his  sentiments.  In  the  course  of  a  long  acquaintance, 
we  never  observed,  could  not  have  detected,  the  slightest  manifesta 
tion  of  the  aristocracy  of  feeling  which  characterizes  nine  out  often 
eminent  men.  He  was  always  Joel  Parker,  whether  in  the  highest 
office  of  the  State,  on  the  Bench,  or  receiving  the  adulation  of  the 
public.  He  was  born  with  an  American  spirit,  and  in  many  respects 
we  consider  him  to  have  been  the  most  strikingly  representative 
American  his  State  has  produced,  unless  we  except  the  late  Commo 
dore  Stockton. 

The  services  of  Joel  Parker  have  received  recognition  at  the  hands 
of  the  Bench,  the  Bar,  the  officials  and  the  people  of  the  State,  since 
his  demise  on  Monday  last  was  announced.  Xo  instance  can  now  be 
recalled  where  words  of  praise  were  so  well  justified  by  every  detail 
of  a  life  spent  from  early  manhood  in  the  bright  light  of  public  posi 
tion  and  popular  trust. 


JOEL     PARKER, 
1863. 


FROM    A    PORTRAIT   PAINTED   FOR   THE  LEGISLATURE 
OF    NEW  JERSEY    BY  JULIAN    SCOTT. 


fti  a  resolution  <<!.:;•;•;  .!:u^   u>j  tli 

of  a.  portrait  of  the-  \-  •  hn  h    \va.s  sub 

v  passed  by  toe  nua •>:«..  •>."  ••  >•  of  tujtfi  h^UrK'f*  of  the  Lrsji* 
nd  approve'!  by  the  voVcrnpr.  The  committee  ;<;•}  'ointe' 
e  joint  resolution  consisted  of  Hon.  Au^u^tus  }3J«»o?orr.  c 
in-l  Hon.  John  Ulrich,  of  I'nion.  from  Hn-  Hou.-«-  of  Asseni 
Hon.  Henry  M.  Nevius,  of  Momuouth,  from  the  Senate. 

KSoLL'TloX     PROVIDING     FOR   TJIK    Pl'R^IIASE    OF     A    PORTRAIT    OT 
THK    I, ATE    HONOR  Uil.E    JOEI,    PARKEK. 

,  Tin-  '  it-   H>.!ii:ra^>lt'  .]«»<-l  T'arker  wan  honor«l»ly  oonspicnou 
in'Mi*!\-  IT.«  1'.;,  -Mjrijiij  .«  'inai-ter  of  a  reiitnrv,  in  t;.-    .uliiiiin.- 


HI.KKAS.  During  his  connection  \  *th  \r^  iu-ljomry  of  Th.s 
r\  ice  I,\;H  distinguiehed  and  Bcrupulously  upright; 

fiKREAs.  Me  t8  worthy  of  hoi.'i-j-  »;.?;k«  '  .t  p»>or  of  those  i 
•men  ami  juri^t^  who  ^ainc'i  r-"-j'«.-'  !.  •..T<>J!:U -1v  an<?  ii«'nor 
tale  of  New  Jersey  ;  theivfore, 

if  Rf.vifrcd  by  the  Senate  and  (ieneral  As.-t-mbly  of  ttie  Su 
•r.-ey.  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed,  two  froi 
>f  Assembly  and  one  from  the  Senate,  to  procure  a  portr 
Honorable  Jm-1  Parker,   \viiifh   whall  be  hun^r  on  the  WM 
i-!ubiy  chambt-r;  the  co-t  of  naid  portrait,  not  exct*t-<j: 
id  iloii:\r-4,  after  boiii^  approv£ai-4>y  naid  committev  or  - 
rof,  .shall  b»'  paitl  by  the  State  Treasurer  upon  a  \varr.s^-    : 

./  /w   //    R".tnlt:-f.iL  That    tli'i-    joint    resolution    Klmll    (  •'- 


iiiiry  4,  Is.s'J,  at   n>. 
bled   to  iiold  a  men 


JOEL    PARKER, 
1863. 

FROM    A    PORTRAIT   PAINTED   FOR   THE  LEGISLATURE 
OF    NEW  JERSEY   BY  JULIAN    SCOTT. 


JOEL  PARKER.  117 

XEW  JERSEY  LEGISLATURE. 


PORTRAIT    OF    JOEL    PARKER. 

At  the  session  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of  New  Jersey, 
held  January  10,  1888,  Hon.  Augustus  Bloomer,  of  Bergen  county, 
introduced  a  resolution  entitled,  "  Joint  Resolution  providing  for  the 
purchase  of  a  portrait  of  the  Honorable  Joel  Parker,"  which  was  sub 
sequently  passed  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  both  houses  of  the  Legis 
lature,  and  approved  by  the  Governor.  The  committee  appointed 
under  the  joint  resolution  consisted  of  Hon.  Augustus  Bloomer,  of 
Bergen,  and  Hon.  John  Ulrich,  of  Union,  from  the  House  of  Assem 
bly,  and  Hon.  Henry  M.  Nevius,  of  Monmouth,  from  the  Senate. 

JOINT    RESOLUTION     PROVIDING     FOR   THE    PURCHASE    OF     A    PORTRAIT   OF 
THE   LATE    HONORABLE    JOEL    PARKER. 

WHEREAS,  The  late  Honorable  Joel  Parker  was  honorably  conspicuous 
and  eminently  useful  during  a  quarter  of  a  century,  in  the  adminis 
tration  of  our  affairs  of  State  ; 

AND  WHEREAS,  By  his  patriotism,  amid  the  national  agony  and  dan 
ger  of  civil  conflict,  and  by  his  wisdom  and  integrity  after  peace  had 
come,  he  earned  encomium  for  himself  and  honored  this  common 
wealth  as  its  chief  executive ; 

AND  WHEREAS,  During  his  connection  with  the  judiciary  of  this  State 
his  service  was  distinguished  and  scrupulously  upright ; 

AND  WHEREAS,  He  is  worthy  of  being  ranked  a  peer  of  those  other 
statesmen  and  jurists  who  gained  respect,  gratitude  and  honor  from 
the  State  of  New  Jersey  ;  therefore, 

1.  Be  it  Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  General  Assembly  of  the  State  of 
New  Jersey,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed,  two  from  the 
House  of  Assembly  and  one  from  the  Senate,  to  procure  a  portrait  of 
the  late  Honorable  Joel  Parker,  which  shall  be  hung  on  the  walls  of 
the  Assembly  chamber ;  the  cost  of  said  portrait,  not  exceeding  one 
thousand  dollars,  after  being  approved  by  said  committee  or  a  major 
ity  thereof,  shall  be  paid  by  the  State  Treasurer  upon  a  warrant  drawn 
by  the  Comptroller. 

2.  And  be  it  Resolved,  That  this    joint  resolution  shall  take  effect 
immediately. 

Approved  March  23,  1888. 

JOINT     MEETING. 

On  Wednesday  evening,  February  4,  1889,  at  nine  o'clock,  the  two 
Houses  of  the  Legislature  assembled  to  hold  a  memorial  meeting  and 
receive  the  portrait  from  the  committee. 


118  MEMORIAL   OF 

It  was  formally  presented  to  the  State  by  Hon.  John  TTlrich,  on  the 
part  of  the  committee.  The  picture  is  a  fine  oil  portrait  representing 
Joel  Parker  as  "War  Governor,  and  was  painted  by  Julian  Scott,  of 
Plainfield. 

When  the  Senate  had  filed  into  the  Assembly  Chamber  and  Pres 
ident  Werts  had  taken  the  gavel  in  hand,  the  portrait  was  brought  in 
and  then  Governor  Green  was  conducted  into  the  Chamber  and  took 
a  seat  by  the  side  of  President  Werts.  Judge  Ulrich  then  arose  and 
addressed  the  joint  meeting  as  follows  : 

Mr.  President :  At  the  last  session  of  the  Legislature  the  Hon. 
Anderson  Bloomer,  then  a  member  of  the  House  of  Assembly,  intro 
duced  a  joint  resolution,  which  provided  that  a  committee  of  three  be 
appointed,  two  from  the  House  of  Assembly  and  one  from  the  Senate, 
to  procure  a  portrait  of  the  late  Hon.  Joel  Parker,  which  shall  be  hung 
on  the  walls  of  the  Assembly  Chamber. 

Pursuant  to  the  resolution,  Speaker  Dickinson  appointed  Messrs. 
Bloomer  and  myself  as  the  House  Committee,  and  Senator  Xevius  was 
appointed  as  the  member  from  the  Senate.  Shortly  after  the  adjourn 
ment  of  the  Legislature  the  committee  advised  with  one  another,  and 
after  inspecting  the  work  of  several  artiste,  awarded  the  contract  to 
Mr.  Julian  Scott,  the  eminent  artist,  who  has  completed  his  work, 
which  is  pronounced  by  competent  judges  to  be  a  master  piece  of 
portrait  painting,  and  now  awaits  the  inspection  of  the  joint  Assembly. 

The  committee,  in  formally  presenting  their  report  for  the  approval 
of  the  Legislature,  thought  it  but  just  and  fitting  that  the  same  be 
done  publicly,  so  that  the  occasion  may  become  a  matter  of  record  in 
both  Houses,  each  House  thereby  exemplifying  its  appreciation  in 
perpetuating  the  memory  of  an  upright  man  and  a  true  statesman 
— at  the  same  time  deeming  it  our  duty  as  well  as  our  pleasure  to 
review  the  life  of  one  whose  character  was  spotless,  and  whose  aim 
was  to  advance  every  material  interest  that  would  tend  to  the  welfare 
of  the  State.  Although  the  eulogy  may  fall  from  the  lips  of  those  who 
may  have  differed  with  the  departed  statesman  politically,  yet  the 
occasion  is  above  party,  and  all  political  distinctions  are  foi gotten  in 
the  memory  of  his  character. 

Ex-Governor  Joel  Parker  was  born  in  Freehold  township,  in  the 
county  of  Monmouth,  on  the  24th  day  of  November,  181(5 ;  he  was  the 
son  of  Charles  Parker,  who  was  also  a  son  of  Monmouth,  and  who 
served  his  county  as  Sheriff,  was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Assembly, 
and  for  thirteen  years  was  State  Treasurer,  at  the  same  time  holding 
the  position  of  State  Librarian.  Joel  Parker  received  his  early  educa 
tion  at  the  old  Trenton  Academy  ;  was  graduated  at  Princeton  College 
in  1839,  and  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  as  practicing  attorney  in  1842. 
His  first  entrance  into  the  political  arena  was  in  1847,  when  he  was 
elected  by  the  suffrage  of  the  peop'e  of  his  district  to  the  House  or 
Assembly.  He  was  soon  regarded  by  ths  members  of  the  House  as  a 


JOEL  PARKER.  119 

young  man  of  rare  attainments.  He  was  possessed  of  a  mind  of  keen 
perception,  was  gifted  with  ready  speech — these  qualities  combined 
with  a  well  trained  legal  mind  placed  him  as  one  of  the  foremost  men 
in  the  House  of  "  47."  It  was  Governor  Parker  who  introduced  and 
fathered  the  bill  to  equalize  taxation,  and  insisted  that  personal  as 
well  as  real  property  should  be  assessed  and  taxed.  The  passage  of 
this  act  soon  gave  him  State  prominence  which  he  so  well  merited. 

In  the  year  succeeding  his  election  to  the  Assembly  he  was  tendered 
a  reiiomination,  which  he  declined,  as  he  also  did  the  nomination  of 
State  Senator,  giving  as  his  valid  reason  that  he  desired  to  give  his 
entire  time  and  attention  to  his  adopted  profession,  which  he  so  much 
admired — the  Law. 

Nor  was  he  a  mean  lawyer.  Possessed  was  he  of  a  mind  capable  of 
exercising  keen  perception,  good  judgment,  and  of  argumentative 
disposition,  well  versed  in  all  the  rules  and  practice  of  the  superior 
courts  ;  yet  he  did  not  desire  to  be  termed  a  technical  lawyer,  prefer 
ring  at  all  times  to  try  a  cause  strictly  upon  its  merits  and  in  accord 
with  justice. 

Governor  Parker  was  of  the  opinion  that  the  profession  of  the  law 
was  a  high  and  dignified  calling,  steadfastly  maintaining  that  the 
judiciary  should  be  above  parties,  that  the  Justices  of  the  Supreme 
Court  Banch  should  be  the  furthest  removed  from  political  bitter 
ness,  and  that  such  an  office  should  not  be  regarded  as  the  property 
of  any  party. 

He  maintained  that  the  property,  lives  and  liberties  of  the  people 
were  in  the  hands  of  the  Courts,  and  was  of  the  opinion  that  if  all  the 
judges  were  of  the  same  political  organization  that  the  usefulness  of 
the  Court  would  be  impaired. 

He  insisted  that  the  only  inquiry  in  relation  to  the  appointment  of 
a  Supreme  Court  Justice  would  be,  what  will  be  for  the  best  interests 
of  the  public.  Subsequently,  when  he  became  Governor  of  this  State, 
he  carried  this  principle  into  practice. 

In  the  year  1875  he  was  nominated  by  Governor  Bedle  as  Attorney- 
General  of  the  State,  and  the  Senate,  well  knowing  his  fitness  and 
adaptability  for  the  office,  did  him  honor  in  confirming  him  without 
reference. 

In  1883  he  was  nominated  by  Governor  McClellan  and  confirmed 
by  the  Senate  as  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  State,  and  at  the 
expiration  of  his  term  was  reappointed  by  Governor  Green.  He  was 
a  model  Judge.  By  his  uniform  kindness  and  courtesy  he  won  the 
respect  of  all  members  of  the  Bar.  The  younger  members  of  the  Bar, 
particularly,  have  a  warm  remembrance  of  Judge  Parker.  To  them 
he  was  especially  kind  ;  always  ready  to  advise,  and  lift  them  up 
when  heavily  burdened  by  doubts  and  misconceptions.  He  was  pos 
sessed  of  good  sound  sense  and  applied  it  to  his  judicial  utterances. 
Others  may  have  been  more  profound,  more  learned  and  more  orig- 


120  MEMORIAL   OF 

inal  than  was  he,  but  none  regarded  the  rights  and  liberties  of  the 
people  more  than  did  Judge  Parker. 

Had  Judge  Parker's  mind  bent  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States  Con 
gress,  he  would  indeed  have  made  a  brilliant  congressional  record. 

In  1854  he  was  prominently  mentioned  for  Congress,  but  declined 
the  honor  in  a  public  letter.  In  1858  he  was  again  named,  and  again 
he  declined. 

In  the  Fall  of  1862  he  was  nominated  by  the  Democratic  State  Con 
vention  as  Governor,  and  again  renominated  in  1871,  being  elected 
both  times  by  large  majorities.  Joel  Parker's  record  as  Governor  was 
above  reproach.  His  official  acts  were  always  consistent  with  law 
and  justice. 

He  was  an  earnest  and  warm  advocate  of  the  public  school  system, 
and  could  justly  be  termed  the  father  of  our  reformatory  institutions. 
During  the  term  of  his  office  as  Governor  he  recommended  the  estab 
lishment  of  a  reform  school,  out  of  which  grew  the  Jamesburg  school, 
which  has  been  the  instrument  of  raising  hundreds  of  youths,  who 
otherwise  might  have  led  lawless  lives  and  turned  out  to  be  hardened 
criminals. 

He  was  an  encourager  of  foreign  immigration,  ever  and  anon  wel 
coming  to  our  shores  such  classes  as  were  desirous  of  building  and 
owning  their  own  homes,  and  who  yearned  for  free  government  con 
structed  by  the  people,  of  the  people  and  for  the  people.  In  all  of  his 
appointments,  both  military  and  civil,  he  was  blind  as  to  any  claims 
.save  those  of  character,  ability  and  qualification. 

Time  fails  me,  or  I  would  be  tempted  to  speak  of  other  principles 
.advocated  by  him,  and  honors  thrust  upon  him.  I  might  mention 
the  high  regard  which  his  party  held  him  in  ;  how  in  1868  he  received 
the  unanimous  vote  of  the  New  Jersey  delegation  for  President  of  the 
United  States  in  the  National  Democratic  Convention  in  New  York, 
and  again,  in  1876,  received  the  same  vote  for  the  same  position.  I 
might  allude  to  his  devotion  to  duty,  the  pride  that  he  always  took  in 
his  native  State,  of  his  faith  in  the  future  of  his  country.  I  might 
speak  of  his  noble  and  generous  characteristics  and  of  his  pure  social 
relations,  but  I  must  pass  all  these  and  refer  to  a  record  which  shines 
most  illustriously.  I  mean  his  war  record. 

Governor  Parker's  name  will  go  down  in  history  as  New  Jersey's 
loyal  War  Governor,  and  his  name  will  be  handed  down  to  future 
generations  as  the  name  of  one  who  was  the  soldiers'  friend.  In  the 
dark  days  of  the  Rebellion,  when  the  fate  of  our  country  depended 
greatly  upon  the  loyalty  of  the  people  of  the  North,  Governor  Parker 
was  not  found  wanting.  He  had  his  own  positive  convictions  as  to 
the  future  of  our  country  and  was  fearless  in  expressing  them.  He 
insisted  that  the  restoration  and  maintenance  of  the  Union  was  the 
first  and  chief  duty  of  a  citizen.  He  urged  that  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
State  authorities  to  furnish  the  men  necessary  to  destroy  the  armed 


JOEL  PARKER.  121 

power  of  the  Rebellion,  and  in  referring  to  the  obstructionists  who 
insisted,  among  other  things,  that  the  Union  should  not  be  restored 
under  the  old  constitution,  he  said : 

"  We  should  not  abandon  the  government  of  our  country  engaged 
in  war  with  those  who  would  destroy  our  national  existence.-  The 
Government  is  designed  to  be  perpetual.  The  Union  must  be  pre 
served." 

Having  learned  in  1853  that  the  United  States  was  about  to  assign 
quotas  to  the  several  districts  in  New  Jersey  and  to  draft  for  troops, 
Governor  Parker  applied  for  authority  to  raise  volunteers.  The 
authority  was  granted,  and  under  it  he  issued  a  proclamation  to  the 
paople  to  make  special  effort  in  volunteering.  Loyal  meetings  were 
held  throughout  the  State,  municipalities  offered  liberal  bounties,  and 
earnest  appeals  wrere  made  by  citizens  requesting  loyal  men  to  enter 
the  front.  Through  these  noble  efforts  of  Governor  Parker  New  Jer 
sey  can  proudly  boast  of  the  fact  that  her  loyal  sons  entered  the  war 
voluntarily,  and  that  no  man  was  ever  taken  away  unwillingly  from 
the  State  to  fill  the  quotas  of  troops  demanded  by  the  United  States 
Government. 

You  remember  the  cloudy  summer  of  "  63."  You  Senators  do.  It 
was  when  Lee  invaded  Pennsylvania,  and  the  country  was  alarmed 
at  the  high  strides  that  the  rebel  army  had  made.  The  two  great 
contending  armies  accidentally  met  at  Gettysburg — the  hour  of  peril 
seemed  to  be  at  hand.  Governor  Curtin,  of  Pennsylvania,  had  but 
few  troops  at  his  command.  That  was  the  hour  in  which  Governor 
Parker  showed  the  country  that  the  true  spark  of  loyalty  was  burning 
within  him  ;  he  recognized  Pennsylvania's  peril,  aye,  the  country's 
peril ;  he  speedily  issued  a  proclamation  for  more  volunteers,  he 
entreated  and  induced  several  regiments  whose  time  of  service  had 
expired,  and  who  were  returning  homeward,  to  retrace  their  steps, 
and  before  the  citizens  of  Philadelphia  had  recovered  from  their 
panic,  in  the  Wheat  Field,  the  Peach  Orchard,  on  little  Round  Top,  and 
at  the  Bloody  Angle  was  heard  the  rifles  of  New  Jersey's  loyal  sons. 
The  high- water  mark  of  the  Rebellion  was  reached — crushed — aye, 
and  New  Jersey  helped  to  crush  it. 

For  the  services  which  Governor  Parker  had  rendered  at  the  battle 
of  Gettysburg,  the  immortal  Lincoln  thanked  him  by  letter. 

After  the  battle  of  Gettysburg  Governor  Parker,  without  waiting  for 
the  action  of  the  Legislature,  sent  a  special  agent  to  the  battlefield  to 
superintend  the  removal  of  NewT  Jersey's  dead  soldiers.  A  plot  of 
ground  was  secured,  the  bodies  were  carefully  interred,  and  over  the 
graves  of  the  unknown  dead  sacred  services  were  held  in  commemo 
ration  of  those  who  had  sacrificed  their  lives  that  the  country  might 
live. 

Governor  Parker  has  justly  been  called  the  Soldiers'  Friend.  During 
his  first  year  as  Governor  he  organized  a  Newr  Jersey  agency  for  sol- 


122  MEMORIAL    OF 

diers,  with  headquarters  at  "Washington.  The  agency  was  designed  to 
look  after  the  general  welfare  of  New  Jersey  troops,  to  alleviate  the 
sufferings  of  the  sick  and  wounded  at  the  hospitals,  to  receive  money 
from  the  soldiers  and  transmit  it  to  their  families  without  expense  to 
them,  and  to  attend  to  every  material  want  of  the  soldier. 

In  his  second  annual  message  he  recommended  the  establishment 
of  a  Soldiers'  Home,  which  recommendation  was  adopted  by  the  Leg 
islature,  and  a  retreat  was  established,  which  has  been  the  means  of 
comforting  and  sheltering  hundreds  of  soldiers  in  their  declining  years. 

These,  Mr.  President,  are  some  of  the  noble  characteristics  and 
qualities  which  ex-Governor  Parker  possessed  in  his  lifetime,  and 
when  the  silent  messenger  of  death  entered  his  chamber  at  midnight 
on  the  2d  of  January,  1888,  there  was  summoned  from  New  Jersey's 
hosts  a  life  that  was  noble,  kind  and  pure  ;  a  life  that  would  be 
missed  in  the  councils  of  the  Commonwealth ;  a  life  that  would  be 
sadly  missed  by  a  bereaved  wife  and  loving  children. 

Ungrateful  would  this  State  be  if  it  did  not  recognize  his  services  in 
some  tangible  form,  and  happy  was  the  thought  that  suggested  that 
our  remembrance  of  him  be  renewed  by  gazing  upon  canvass. 

In  the  absence  of  the  Chairman  of  the  House  Committee,  it  becomes 
my  duty  to  now  formally  present  this  portrait,  which  portrays  ex-Gov 
ernor  Parker  during  his  term  as  War  Governor,  to  the  House,  sin 
cerely  trusting  that  it  shall  not  hang  upon  the  walls  of  the  Assembly 
Chamber  as  an  ornament,  or  to  be  solely  inspected  as  an  elegant  work 
of  art,  but  that  under  its  shadow  the  members  of  this  House  and 
future  Houses  will  recall  the  real  life  of  one  whose  noble  heart  always 
beat  with  pride  for  having  been  a  true  and  loyal  Jersey  man — and 
looking  up  into  his  manly,  dignified  and  open  fountenance,  may  many 
generations  catch  the  poetical  song  : 

"  Lives  of  great  men  all  remind  us 

We  can  make  our  lives  sublime, 
And,  departing,  leave  behind  us 
Footprints  on  the  sands  of  time." 

ADDRESS  OF  SENATOR  HENRY  M.  NEVIUS. 

MR.  CHAIRMAN  : — It  is  indeed  a  pleasure  for  me  to  be  here  to-night. 
Owing  to  my  recent  severe  illness,  the  presentation  of  this  splendid 
life-like  portrait  was  shifted  from  my  shoulders  to  those  of  the  gentle 
man  who  has  so  ably  performed  that  pleasant  duty.  I  did  not  expect 
to  be  called  upon,  but  I  only  regret,  that  physically  and  mentally  I 
am  unable  to  do  justice  to  the  memory  of  Joel  Parker.  I  knew  him 
intimately  from  my  earliest  boyhood  to  the  time  of  his  death.  I  knew 
him  as  a  kind,  genial,  sociable  man,  and  particularly  agreeable  to  the 
young  men.  I  remember  well  that  while  I  was  studying  in  the  office 
of  General  Haight,  at  Freehold,  upon  different  occasions  when  the  in 
tricacies  of  certain  duties  devolving  upon  me  and  I  could  not  see  my 
way  clear,  that  Joel  Parker  was  always  ready  with  a  word  of  advice 


JOEL  PARKER.  123 

and  explanation,  and  always  did  it  cheerfully.  He  was  a  lawyer  of 
marked  ability,  and  when  he  came  to  the  bar  it  was  to  meet  and  cope 
with  such  men  as  Dayton,  Ryall,  Vredenburgh,  Bradley,  and  others 
who  became  celebrated  jurists.  He  always  made  his  client's  case  his 
own  ;  his  fidelity  and  energy  soon  brought  him  a  large  practice.  As 
Prosecutor  of  the  Pleas  he  was  a  success,  and  a  terror  to  law-breakers. 
He  never  sought  victims,  but  always  strove  to  maintain  the  dignity 
of  the  lawr,  and  to  punish  the  guilty.  I  remember  well  his  ability  and 
genius  in  the  celebrated  Donnelly  case,  in  which  he  was  opposed  by 
Bradley  and  Pennington ;  while  there  was  positive  evidence  in  the 
case  it  was  of  such  a  character  as  to  throw  doubt  upon  it.  Yet  Joel 
Parker,  by  his  energy  and  zeal,  wove  such  a  chain  of  circumstantial 
evidence  around  Donnelly  that  there  was  no  escape.  He  was  a  man 
who  was  always  on  the  alert  in  every  new  enterprise  affecting  the 
community  in  which  he  resided  and  the  enterprise  that  met  with  his 
approval  always  received  his  cordial  support  and  wTas  sure  to  be  suc 
cessful,  while  if  it  met  with  his  disapproval  it  was  abandoned  or  de 
feated.  His  statesmanlike  qualities  were  first  discovered  in  this 
Chamber  as  a  member  from  Monmouth,  when  he  served  his  county 
with  marked  ability.  He  was  elected  Governor  of  our  State  at  the 
most  critical  period  of  its  history,  and  here  his  unselfish  patriotism, 
his  loyalty,  his  great  ability  carried  him  through  his  term  of  office 
without  a  taint  upon  his  escutcheon,  and  his  administration  is  marked 
as  one  of  the  most  brilliant  in  the  history  of  our  State.  He  served  the 
State  as  Attorney-General  with  great  ability  ;  again  he  was  elected 
Governor  by  a  large  majority  and  again  gave  the  State  an  administra 
tion  to  which  his  friends  arid  party  point  with  pride.  He  was  ap 
pointed  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court ;  to  this  position  he  brought  a 
well  trained  legal  mind,  which  placed  him  in  the  first  rank  among  the 
jurists  of  the  State.  But  Joel  Parker  is  dead,  and  we  can  safely  say 
that  as  a  lawyer,  as  a  legislator,  as  a  Governor,  as  a  Judge,  as  a  citizen, 
no  man  ever  commanded  and  deservedly,  so  much  respect  and  confi 
dence  from  the  people  of  the  whole  State  as  did  Joel  Parker.  In  his 
death  his  family  lose  a  loving  husband  and  affectionate  father,  the 
-State  of  New  Jersey  one  of  its  most  valuable  citizens,  our  statesmen 
one  of  their  most  valuable  advisers,  the  Judiciary  one  of  its  brightest 
lights.  He  stands  to-night  before  that  court  from  whose  decrees  there 
is  no  appeal,  and  we  believe  that  it  is  well  with  him. 

ADDRESS  OF  GOVERNOR  ROBERT  S.  GREEN. 

Mr.  President,  Gentlemen  of  the  Senate  and  General  Assembly : 

I  regret  exceedingly  having  been  notified  only  on  entering  the 
House  this  evening  that  some  remarks  were  expected  of  me.  No  op 
portunity  has  been  given  for  preparation  of  an  appropriate  and  ade 
quate  tribute  to  the  distinguished  citizen,  Governor  and  Judge  whose 
memory  we  meet  to  honor.  But  I  cannot  fail  to  lay  my  garland  on 


124  MEMORIAL    OF  JOEL    PARKER. 

the  shrine,  be  it  ever  so  hastily  gathered,  or  ever  so  incomplete  and 
humble.  The  eloquent  member  from  Union  and  the  Senator  from  Mon- 
mouth,  have  spoken  in  detail  of  his  many  virtues  and  gifts — of  his  long 
and  varied  service  to  the  State — be  it  mine  to  recall  some  of  the  general 
characteristics  which  distinguished  him.  Joel  Parker,  more  than  any 
man  within  my  recollection,  held  and  enjoyed  the  absolute  and  un 
varying  confidence  of  the  people  of  the  State.  His  honesty  of  purpose, 
his  unswerving  fidelity  to  duty,  his  unquestioned  and  unquestionable 
integrity,  commanded  and  renewed  this  faith,  which  was  perennial 
and  ever  fresh  and  strong.  He  was  proud  of  his  native  State.  He 
was  a  Jerseyman  "  from  the  crown  of  his  head  to  the  sole  of  his  foot." 
Whatever  might  tend  to  shed  lustre  on  her  honor  or  her  history,  re 
ceived  from  him  an  active  and  hearty  co-operation  and  support. 
Whatever  might  tend  to  her  prosperity  or  usefulness  found  in  him  an 
earnest  sympathy  and  aid.  Whatever  might  tend  to  diminish  her 
glory,  or  infringe  upon  her  rights,  received  his  immediate  and  indig 
nant  protest  and  repulse.  RespDnding  with  patriotism  and  alacrity  to 
every  demand  which  her  loyal  devotion  to  the  integrity  of  the  Union 
required,  he  hesitated  not  a  moment,  when  her  right  to  execute  her 
laws  within  her  own  territory  was  questioned,  to  assert  and  maintain 
her  sovereignty  under  the  Constitution  of  the  country.  Loyal  to  the 
Xation  and  the  State,  public  spirited  as  a  citizen,  fearless  in  the  dis 
charge  of  duty  as  an  officer,  patriotic  and  wi?e  as  a  statesman,  far  seeing 
and  preeminent  as  a  Governor,  impartial  and  learned  as  a  Judge,  Joel 
Parker  in  history  will  be  a  grand,  heroic  figure,  respected,  revered  and 
beloved  by  every  true  Jerseyman. 

On  motion  of  Mr.  Hudspeth  the  picture  was  formally  received  and 
ordered  to  be  hung  in  the  Assembly  Chamber. 

Senator  Edwards'  motion,  that  a  vote  of  thanks  be  extended  to  the 
joint  committee  that  procured  the  portrait,  was  adopted,  when  the 
joint  meeting  arose. 


The  Joel  Parker  As-ociation  also  procured  and  presented  to  the 
State  an  oil  portrait  of  Gov.  Parker  representing  him  in  advanced 
years,  which  has  been  hung  in  the  Executive  Chamber. 


Olive  Branch  Lodge  No.  16,  F.  A.  M.,  has  purchased  an  excellent 
likeness  of  Judge  Parker,  which  now  hangs  in  the  Lodge  Room  at 
Freehold. 


APPENDIX 


Invasion  of  Pennsylvania. 


A  century  of  national  life  has  demonstrated  the  fact  that  a  nation 
composed  of  many  independent  States  united  in  one  central  govern 
ment  has  in  it  the  elements  of  strength  and  permanence.  Not  even 
the  stern  discipline  of  civil  strife  has  retarded  the  progress  and  pros 
perity  of  our  great  country.  No  longer  have  we  a  Union  of  States 
"  dissevered,  discordant,  belligerent,"  but  a  strong  compact  in  which 
the  different  commonwealths,  recognizing  a  diversity  of  interests,  are 
firmly  joined  under  a  Constitution  which  has  been  framed  for  the 
good  of  the  body  politic. 

The  fraternal  feeling  existing  between  the  States  was  finely  exem 
plified  at  the  the  time  of  the  invasion  of  Pennsylvania  by  the  South 
ern  army  under  General  Lee.  The  news  that  a  hostile  force  had 
entered  a  neighboring  State  for  the  purpose  of  taking  possession  of 
the  capital  occasioned  great  consternation.  At  that  juncture  Gov. 
Curtin  sent  the  following  telegram  to  Governor  Parker  : 

HARRISBURG,  June  15,  1863. 
Gov.  Joel  Parker  : 

This  State  is  threatened  with  invasion  by  a  large  force  and  we  are 
raising  troops,  as  rapidly  as  possible,  to  resist  them.  I  understand 
there  are  three  regiments  of  your  troops  at  Beverly,  waiting  to  be 
mustered  out.  Could  an  arrangement  be  made  with  you  and  the 
authorities  at  Washington  by  which  the  service  of  those  regiments 
could  be  had  for  the  present  emergency?  Please  advise  immediately. 

A.  G.  CURTIN,  Gov.  Pa. 


TELEGRAM. 

EXECUTIVE  CHAMBER,  TRENTON,  N.  J.,  \ 
June  15,  1863.     / 

His  Excellency  A.  G.  Curtin.  Governor  of  Pennsylvania,  Harrisburg : 

Your  dispatch  is  received  ;  one  regiment  has  already  volunteered 
and  no  doubt  others  can  be  sent.  Where  shall  they  report  and  to 
whom  ?  To  whom  shall  they  apply  for  transportation  from  Philadel 
phia  ?  Answer. 

JOEL  PARKER. 


128  MEMORIAL    OF 

On  June  17,  1863,  Governor  Parker  issued  two  Proclamations  ;  one 
calling  on  the  militia  of  the  State  to  organize  into  regiments  for  the 
assistance  of  Pennsylvania,  the  other  appealing  to  the  nine  months 
regiments  to  render  a  like  service. 


A    PROCLAMATION. 

EXECUTIVE  CHAMBER,  TRENTON,  N.  J.,  \ 
June  17,  1863.     / 

Jerseymen  !  The  State  of  Pennsylvania  is  invaded  !  A  hostile  army 
is  now  occupying  and  despoiling  the  towns  of  our  sister  State.  She 
appeals  to  New  Jersey,  through  her  Governor,  to  aid  in  driving  back 
the  invading  army. 

Let  us  respond  to  this  call  upon  our  patriotic  State  with  unprece 
dented  zeal. 

I  therefore  call  upon  the  citizens  of  this  State  to  meet  and  organize 
into  companies,  and  report  to  the  Adjutant  General  of  the  State  as 
soon  as  possible,  to  be  organized  into  regiments  as  the  militia  of  New 
Jersey,  and  press  forward  to  the  assistance  of  Pennsylvania  in  this 
emergency. 

The  organization  of  these  troops  will  be  given  in  general  orders  as 
soon  as  practicable. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  privy  seal  this  seventeenth  day  of  June, 
[L.  s.]  eighteen  hundred  and  sixty-three. 

Attest:  JOEL  PARKER. 

S.  M.  DICKINSON,  Private  Secretary. 


APPEAL  TO  THE  NINE  MONTHS'  REGIMENTS. 

STATE  OF  NEW  JERSEY,     ") 
EXECUTIVE  CHAMBER,  TRENTON,  June  17,  1863. / 

Soldiers !  The  Governor  of  Pennsylvania  has  requested  your  ser 
vices  to  assist  in  repelling  an  invasion  of  that  State.  Your  term  of 
service  has  expired.  You  have  performed  your  duty,  and  your  gal 
lant  conduct  has  reflected  honor  on  yourselves  and  the  State  that  sent 
you  forth. 

It  will  take  time  to  organize  and  send  troops  to  the  aid  of  Pennsyl 
vania.  You  are  already  organized  and  drilled.  The  hard  service  you 
have  seen  in  Virginia  has  made  you  veterans — far  more  efficient  than 
new  troops  can  possibly  be. 

I  regret  any  necessity  that  may  detain  you  from  your  homes,  but 
can  this  appeal  from  a  sister  State,  in  her  hour  of  danger,  be  disre 
garded  ? 

Your  State  and  United  States  pay  will  be  continued.  You  will  not 
be  required  to  go  out  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  will  return  as 


JOEL  PARKER.  129 

soon  as  the  emergency  will  admit.    Your  response  to  this  appeal  will 
add  to  the  fame  you  have  already  achieved. 

JOEL  PARKER. 


TELEGRAM. 

TRENTON,  June  17,  1863. 
Gen.  A.  L.  Russell,  Adjutant- General,  Harrisburg,  Pa.: 

The  Twenty-third  New  Jersey  Regiment  (returned  volunteers,)  left 
for  Harrisburg  at  5  P.  M.  to-day,  three  hundred  strong.  Two  compa 
nies  of  the  State  Militia  go  at  9  A.  M.  to-morrow.  The  others  will  be 
forwarded  by  companies  as  fast  as  they  can  be  equipped.  I  thought 
best  not  to  delay  for  regimental  organization,  but  will  perfect  that  in 
the  field.  Members  of  the  Twenty-third  on  furloughs  will  be  for 
warded  to  join  the  regiment. 

R.  F.  STOCKTON,  Jr.,  Adj.  Gen.  N.  J.  M. 

The  Twenty-third  regiment,  of  which  General  E.  Burd  Grubb  was 
Colonel,  was  at  Beverly,  waiting  to  be  mustered  out.  Desiring  to  have 
detailed  information  concerning  the  circumstances  attending  the 
re-enlistment  of  his  regiment,  application  was  recently  made  to  the 
Colonel,  to  which  the  following  reply  was  received  : 

EDGEWATER  PARK,  April  22,  1889. 
Dear  Madam  : 

*  *  The  facts  are  these.  The  regiment  was  at  Beverly  awaiting 
muster  out,  the  term  for  which  it  was  enlisted  having  expired.  I  was 
its  Colonel.  One  day,  about  the  seventeenth  of  June,  I  was  in  Tren 
ton  and  taking  lunch  at  General  Stockton's  house.  While  at  the  table 
a  telegram  was  handed  to  General  Stockton,  who  was  at  that  time 
Adjutant  General  of  New  Jersey,  in  which  Governor  Curtin  informed 
Governor  Parker  that  the  rebels  had  invaded  Pennsylvania,  and  urg 
ing  him  to  send  at  once  any  troops  he  had.  Gen.  Stockton  asked  me 
whether  I  thought  my  men  would  go  to  Pennsylvania,  and  I  answered 
that  I  thought  they  would  go.  He  told  me  to  go  to  Beverly  and  get 
them  together,  and  that  Governor  Parker  would  come  down  there. 
Within  an  hour  I  had  the  regiment  in  line,  and  the  Governor  made 
to  them  the  most  magnificent  and  stirring  appeal  I  ever  heard,  even 
from  his  eloquent  lips.  When  he  had  ended  I  said  a  few  words,  and 
then  asked  every  man  who  would  go  to  meet  the  enemy  again,  to  step 
two  paces  to  the  front.  Every  man  advanced,  and  the  number  was 
four  hundred  and  twenty-five,  (425).  *  * 

With  profound  respect  and  a  deep  affection  for  the  memory  of  your 
great  husband,  believe  me,  dear  madam, 

Sincerely  yours, 

MRS.  JOEL  PARKER.  E.  BURD  GRUBB. 


130  MEMORIAL    OF  JOEL  PARKER. 

Transportation  was  telegraghed  for,  but  it  was  late  in  the  day  before 
it  was  furnished.  "In  the  dusk  of  the  evening  the  regiment  landed  at 
Walnut  street  wharf,  in  Philadelphia,  and  preceded  by  a  band,  march 
ed  through  the  crowded  streets,  greeted  at  every  step  by  peals  of 
cheers,  to  the  Harrisburg  depot,  whence  it  being  impossible  to  procure 
transportation,  it  proceeded  to  the  corner  of  Twenty-seventh  and 
Market  streets,  where  it  was  quartered  for  the  night."* 

The  Twenty-third  was  the  first  regimental  organization  to  reach  the 
city  of  Harrisburg. 

In  the  mean  time  Col.  William  E.  Murphy,  formerly  Colonel  of  the 
Tenth  Regiment,  started  from  Bordentown  with  one  company  on  the 
morning  of  the  18th,  and  arrived  at  Harrisburg  at  twelve  o'clock  at 
night,  before  any  volunteers  from  Philadelphia  had  arrived.  He  was 
soon  joined  by  Companies  A  Band  C,  of  Trenton,  and  Company  D,  of 
Lambertville.  They  were  joyfully  welcomed  by  the  citizens  of  Harris 
burg. 

The  Twenty-seventh  Regiment,  under  command  of  Col.  George  W. 
Mindil,  en  route  home,  from  the  West,  hearing  on  June  17th,  at  Cin 
cinnati,  of  the  invasion  of  Pennsylvania  by  General  Lee,  immediately 
volunteered  for  its  defense,  and  having  previously  performed  excellent 
service  at  Pittsburg,  reached  Harrisburg  on  June  27th.  This  regiment 
was  composed  of  men  from  Sussex  and  Morris  counties. 

In  a  letter  to  Governor  Parker,  dated  June  24th,  1863,  Governor 
Curtin  said  :  "  I  cannot  close  this  communication  without  expressing 
to  you  the  thanks  of  the  people  of  Pennsylvania  for  your  promptness 
in  responding  to  their  calls,  and  to  the  people  of  New  Jersey  for  the 
patriotic  disposition  they  so  truly  manifest,  and  their  willingness  to 
take  up  arms  for  our  defence." 

A  telegram  from  President  Lincoln,  received  June  30,  1863,  closed 
with  these  words  :  "  Please  accept  my  sincere  thanks  for  what  you 
have  done  and  are  doing  to  get  troops  forward." 

Major  James  S.  Yard  has  alluded  to  the  incidents  here  narrated  in 
his  admirable  address  before  the  Historical  Society  of  New  Jersey,  in 
illustration  of  the  energy  and  promptness  with  which  Governor  Par 
ker  responded  to  every  appeal  for  aid. 

New  Jersey  is  proud  of  the  gallant  soldiers  who  represented  her  on 
the  battlefield  and  of  all  the  heroes,  civil  and  military,  whose  patriot 
ism  was  unwavering  in  the  time  of  national  sorrow  ;  yet  these  me 
morial  pages  show  that  none  was  more  greatly  honored  and  beloved 
than  the  man  who  was  her  Governor  during  the  last  three  years  of 
deadly  conflict  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  of  the  States. 

*  J.  Y.  Foster,  New  Jersey  and  the  Rebellion. 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 

LOAN  DEPT. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 


ISAprW 


1AR  31  1960 


LD  21A-50m-4,'59 
(A1724slO)476B 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


M168751 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


